Trust Without Cynicism is Hollow
by kotaou
Summary: Aomine Daiki comes face-to-face with a reality he isn't willing to accept when the Apparition prince of the neighboring kingdom tries to assassinate him. The conspiracy of his birth leads him on a violent path of betrayal and lies while the threat of war looms ever closer.
1. Chapter 1

:I:

Aomine Daiki was not a morning person.

He enjoyed the invigorating kiss of the sun through his curtains. The bustle of townspeople summoned to the halls of the temple and downtown marketplace weren't unwelcome. The allure of freshly prepared porridges and embellished biscuits from the dining hall was anticipated with childlike fervor.

What designated him as an anti-morning person was now yanking his covers from his supine form, sprawled haphazardly across a queen-sized mattress.

He groaned and rolled his head beneath the pillow. "Go away, Tetsu."

Kuroko Tetsuya was nothing if but persistent to an almost nauseating degree.

Not that Aomine didn't appreciate the effort.

Just not when it meant he would be so rudely roused each morning.

"You've assigned me to wake you in time for your meetings with the War Administrator, Aomine-kun." The matter-of-fact tone and hidden message of _I told you so _didn't please him.

He gripped the pillow and his body curled tight. He waved a dismissive hand.

"Five more minutes."

The shadow swatted down Aomine's hand defiantly, undaunted when a narrow glare was sent his way beneath the marginally lifted pillow.

"You've flaunted your status enough this week, have you not?" With careful and almost expert ease, Tetsu removed the pillow with a quick whip of his arm. "I've already allowed you an extra ten minutes, anyway. I figured you could use it to will away your impending headache."

Aomine visibly winced. Tetsu wasn't titled his shadow for nothing.

The man knew him better than he knew himself.

Of course, the fact that he was a literal shadow only amplified the irony. Despite his fair skin, hair, and eyes, Tetsu was born among the Shadow, a race of the Apparitions who existed among the darkness. Quiet creatures with passive tendencies, they were designated by their dark hair and usual black irises—sometimes ranging from violet to cerulean. Notably a powerful race among the running of five other candidates, the Shadow's power was so feared that the entire population was reduced to one-tenth its original size. Today, most are contracted into servicing those of higher power among the dominant races in the Apparition hierarchy.

Aomine was not among the superior half. Yet Tetsu was hired little over thirty years ago and hasn't left his side since. Many times in the past, Aomine was grateful for Tetsu's loyalty.

But not today.

Or any other morning for that matter.

"I didn't drink that much," Aomine protested, rolling on his back. Since the shadow removed his bedding, there was no longer the soothing lull of sleep to attract him. He may as well rise.

He threw his legs over the edge of the bed—easily doable given his stature—and swooped to stand. A spell of wooziness washed over him and his brain throbbed lightly.

There it was.

Damn Tetsu and his astuteness.

A small, almost indiscernible, snort told him Tetsu hit the nail on the head.

Which momentarily irked him.

Aomine reached and popped his finger against the shadow's forehead, "Shut your hole and grab me some clothes."

The assault went without nurturing and Tetsu turned to the bedroom's armoire, one of few outlets for Aomine's wardrobe.

It was a spacious room. A master bed, without the usual ostentatious ornamentation of silk drapes and towering bedpost columns, centered the room. Large sliding glass windows arched above a plush lounge chair where Aomine often napped under a mountain of neglected paperwork. A tall mirror sat catty-cornered in company of a tea-table and a lavish oak armoire. Identical bookshelves, patched with sparse volumes, hugged the room's entryway. There were several offers to upgrade the décor. And several more to move Aomine to the priest's quarters, where he would be closer to his benefactor, the _D__an__—_the sovereign of his people_._

He declined each time.

The space had been his since before he could remember. He grew up here and added the furniture to his liking as he aged. There _was_ no substitute. Neither the Dan nor the War Administrator, not even his own parents—bless their souls—could convince him otherwise.

He stretched his long, gangly arms, groaning with each satisfying pop produced from his tender joints. His left shoulder strained with an aggressive pain and Aomine wasn't dumb enough to test his luck. Maybe he had drunk too much last night. Arm wrestling the Combat Squad chief with four drinks in him seemed like a good idea at the time. His impaired judgment had allowed his confidence to fester. After all, he wasn't head of the hunter's guild and the War Administrator's Ambassador without purpose. Why couldn't he hold his own in a petty competition against the chief, even while intoxicated?

He snapped to attention when a dress shirt smacked his face. Tetsu's expression beyond the garment was stoic, as always, but with a hint of satisfaction only Aomine could detect. A pair of pants came next, which he caught while fastening the tread of buttons. Tetsu reached for a pair of well-maintained dress shoes and Aomine clicked his tongue condescendingly.

"Don't even. Boots."

The smile that creased the shadow's lips convinced Aomine that he surrendered.

He finished vesting himself.

**—**

The deck was alive with the faint hymn of nature—birdcalls, the trickle of the forked stream below the deck boards, and the call of what Aomine knew were a pack of wolves yipping after their pups. Streaks of white and slate raked the sky. A blanket of damp coolness flooded the area and inexplicably soothed him. People milled about. Snippets of conversation faded in and out like a radio scanning for a suitable frequency. It was usually busier around this time. Scholars hustling with scrolls and books cradled preciously to their chests. A pack of uniforms strutting self-importantly down the walkway effectively cleaving through the morning throng. Children juggling handmade leather balls compacted with dead foliage. However, this morning Aomine was grateful for the sparse company.

The path opened to a pentagonal platform where four other expanses opened. Burly temples, with the grandeur of Buddhist temples yet the simple architecture of Shinto shrines, rose in the misty distance. Satellite imaging displayed the foundation as five-pointed star with villages dusting its exterior in a mottled glow of gold, green, and mahogany.

"What does Wakamatsu have on the agenda today, Tetsu?" Aomine may as well prepare himself now. The shrill War Administrator was abrasive enough without a pitcher of liquor to exacerbate his effect on Aomine's ability to suffer eccentrics. "Aside from berating my punctuality."

Despite being of similar age, Wakamatsu reserved little respect for him.

Good.

The feeling was mutual.

Be it that the War Administrator feared his job was on the line in favor of the Dan's nephew or the man's everlasting penchant for self-preservation, Aomine didn't care.

The welfare of the Ice Apparitions, of his people, that's what mattered. As well as his opinion to preserve national security.

"I didn't intercept many details, but it seems as though the Lord isn't cooperating and negotiations to neutralize border hostilities has ground to a halt. It seems like war is once again inevitable." Despite the gravity of the news, Tetsu's expression did not falter.

Aomine's brows pinched in apprehension.

The _Lord_—leader of the Fire Apparitions—was a long-standing rival of the Ice following an ugly schism a few thousand years ago. The pair shared many things despite that. Language. Culture. Appearances. The fair eyes and swarthy skin of the Ice—contributions to their Inuit ancestors—and the piercing red glare of the Fire were the only discernible differences. War was a common practice between the two powers, a constant struggle between the innately obstinate and the vehemently fierce.

Rousing with the usual morning wake-up call?

Not so bad.

Add in a percussive hangover and a pulled shoulder?

Miserable.

Throw in the possibility of war with Lord Akashi Seijuurou?

An instant cocktail for a sour mood and a bleak, indefinite future.

Now he regretted getting ballsy with the Combat Squad chief last night.

The remainder of their trek across the wooden pavilion was silent.

**—**

The rhythmic thumping of his pen against his supine palm was the only thing distracting Aomine from his agitated brain. He kept an ear open to the debate. Wakamatsu had his moment, derailing from the middle of debriefing a report from one of his many field scouts to scold Aomine and call into question his obligation to the uniform. Against his better judgment, he resisted the attractive lull of rebellion and dipped his head in apology before taking his seat beside the War Administrator's fourth director.

An hour into the meeting, a slip tickled his wrist. On it was scrawled with a faint hand, _I'm sure you'll win next time._

He shot a scrutinizing glance to the director, Momoi Satsuki. A sweet smile stretched her lips, eyes curious but not demanding. Pale pink hair swept over her shoulder in a lose ribbon. Uncharacteristic of the Ice, but the alien image had grown on them and no one questioned it. Before penning his reply, he noted how she impressively recorded the conference's goings-on without needing to monitor her hand.

_I was sabotaged. He bought my last two rounds beforehand__._The paper was returned in a swift motion.

A snort was her prior response and it pinched one of Aomine's lesser nerves.

_Trademark of a sore loser. I knew I should have chaperoned you._

He resisted the urge to grumble, disinclined to field another of Wakamatsu's jabs with forged apology.

_Tetsu was with me. If anything, it's his fault I lost and my shoulder's wrecked because of it._Part of him twinged uncomfortably for shifting blame to the shadow. Yet Tetsu was his bodyguard. Surely keeping his charge from an intoxicated arm wrestling match with a man twice Aomine's build was within the agreement. Or so Aomine liked to convince himself, at times. He didn't mull long over his petty selfishness, as the note was promptly returned.

_I'll rub out the kinks for you later. Don't make a habit of my clemency, Dai-chan! _He scoffed, quickly disguising it with a sniff when the War Administrator shot a look his way. _You didn't give Tetsu-kun a hard time this morning, did you?_

"Aomine."

His head snapped up, eyes scanning those of the directors and Wakamatsu across the table. The twitch of the War Administrator's brow told Aomine he expected an answer.

"Yeah?" A jab to the ribs corrected him. "I mean, yes?"

"We received detailed reports from scouts that Lord Akashi's contingent is showing steady increase. The rate of forest fires has jumped exponentially and an estimated twenty-four percent of our southern villages have suffered."

Aomine dropped his chin into his palm, pen tip clacking against the wood table. His eyes bounced around the room. Most of the men and women present were proclaimed pacifists. Not much was ever achieved from these grunts without approval from either Wakamatsu or the Dan. Though their expertise in their respective fields was to be admired. Aomine hardly had the patience for geography, statistics, or the social properties that dictated government. He viewed his education was more punitive than rewarding, like most sedentary tasks he was forced to partake in. His one hundred years of life tackling the exigencies of the battlefield was his certification. Surely these people were beyond his years, but their trepidation and deskbound lifestyles put them at a disadvantage that he never hesitated to capitalize. And why shouldn't he?

They hadn't experienced the panic that gripped one's heart while tangling with death. They hadn't witnessed the marring of the very earth they were born from. And they certainly had never been responsible for inflicting cruel death in the name of national security against the future light of the Apparition world.

"It's a ruse." His words were clipped methodically. As was his way. Sugarcoating wasn't his style. Especially when handling a pacifist. They were a walking gray area, endorsing the safest route without a second thought. He needed them to realize that the matter was, in fact, black and white. Either they realize the Lord's intentions and act now or they continue negating his obvious threatening advance and allow for genocide to grip the Ice as it nearly had when the Lightning similarly intimidated the Shadow. "He's bulldozing our border towns to keep us distracted from his impending invasion and all we've been doing is managing the impending civil war at the border."

"How can you be sure that's what Lord Akashi intends?" A challenging inquiry from Wakamatsu's immediate left.

The second director, a shrewd woman, who'd spend a century-and-a-half advocating that the Ice simply avoid hostilities and cater to all of Lord Akashi's demands and expectations of what Aomine and all other members of the War Administrator's collective knew would forever keep their people at his mercy. As they had been for the last sixteen years.

Something Aomine could not tolerate.

Lord Akashi was a man of action. The size of his empire and rate of his economic advancements proved that. Continuing the tyrannical tenure of the last Lord, Akashi encouraged the preservation of Akashi Seiichi's seized land which meant recapturing what the Ice had called home for over two-thousand years. Granted they secured overseas territory in the Western hemisphere, though the likelihood of conquest was minimal. After all, the Fire had no interest in what was not once theirs. Akashi hadn't the time or patience to acclimate to unfamiliar terrain.

The Ice, by comparison, appeared almost prehistoric. Their natural obstinate pride was all that prevented the Fire from violently reclaiming the region. Aomine hoped to keep it that way and if it meant providing frank, overbearing opinions against his seniors, then so be it.

These people would learn the expectations of war in one of two ways.

The choice should be obvious, even to these paper pushing jockeys.

"My seventy-five years of combat experience doesn't speak for itself?"

The second director's face remained hardened.

"No, it doesn't," she snuffed. "You've condemned every attempt at peace we've tried to achieve with Lord Akashi. Always favoring the ways of the brute. As is your nature, no doubt."

His jaw clenched and he shifted to lift from his chair. A grip to his thigh stopped him. He caught Satsuki's gaze, her eyes dissolving his aggression instantly.

"Araki, that's uncalled for," she said, returning her hand to the tabletop once Aomine settled in his chair again. "Aomine-kun is one of few among us who has experienced Lord Akashi's offensives firsthand. His insight was recommended by more than just the Dan. And furthermore," her voice dropped an octave and her brow creased," your blatant animosity is not appreciated."

Araki's lips seamed a tight line and silence encased the room.

Aomine splayed his hand across his mouth, concealing a smirk.

_That's my girl_.

"What then," Wakamatsu continued in Araki's wake, "do you propose we do?"

His attention zeroed in on the War Administrator. "Up our defensive perimeter for a start. Lord Akashi wouldn't hesitate to dispatch spies into our region. Traps will be necessary to snare any stragglers that slip through."

He ignored Araki's unshielded eye roll as well as the wave of groans from the row of chairs to his right.

"You want us to use your guild?" Another director, one Aomine doesn't lock eyes with.

"Those brutes catch game, not Apparitions." A third.

"You don't honestly expect us to entertain this idea when we're facing the possibility of _war._" Aomine scowled at the emphasis, as if the word was taboo and the director uttered it under duress. "Are you out of your mind?"

"My guild," his voice rose unexpectedly, spooking a handful of fainthearted members.

Wakamatsu even reared back a fraction.

Satsuki cleared her throat and Aomine willed himself to relax.

He folded his hands together on the table and leaned forward. "My guild is more than capable of handling Fire Apparitions. Traps serve a singular purpose. They don't discriminate prey. They capture it. Which is exactly what we want." The tense atmosphere in the room dissolved and it appeared that he had everyone's attention. "We don't have enough military strength to launch an offensive just yet. As you so adamantly protested, Araki, we are a pacifistic race. We fight only when backed into a corner with nowhere to go but in the face of danger. Wouldn't you say that's where we find ourselves?"

A dry murmur echoed around the room. Directors leaned into each other, disclosures confidential and rushed. Wakamatsu deliberated to himself, arms crossed, and eyes sewn to the strewn papers before him. Most of Aomine's proposals unfolded similarly. He would offer a frank approach and await rejection as they whispered among each other.

Seconds turned to minutes and Aomine's skin crawled restlessly.

He glanced sidelong to Satsuki and caught her supportive smile.

He wanted it to mean something. That his motion would carry. That he would, for once, catch a break from this convoluted group of halfwits.

Unable to resist, he cracked a smile back.

"Alright," Wakamatsu called, gaining silence.

Aomine redirected his eyes and straightened his back.

"Though it pains me," he began and the pressure in Aomine's chest instantly lightens. "You make a logical assertion. We need to play more calculatingly if we want to avoid any patriotic, self-sacrificing types that squeeze through our defense. This board authorizes the motion. Inform your guild and report to the Dan."

Sparse irate groans and distant muttering filtered throughout the room as directors, officers, and Ambassadors, like Aomine, prepared their things to leave.

"We will meet again in one week to settle this collaboration, Aomine," Wakamatsu called over the noise.

A wave was all Aomine offered as he eagerly bounded for the door, slipping through a pair of disgruntled directors and entered the hall.

The sudden swell of success burst from him when he heard an airy summons to his left. He managed to keep a tight hold on his materials as he sidestepped the noise with a pert skip. A blur of pale blue and black entered his vision and he exhaled the tension.

Tetsu was a clash of saturation. His complexion was fair but his style of dress was always grim, forever cloaked in neutral, muted colors. Today he donned a black dress shirt, charcoal slacks, and combat boots. A pair of sweat bands peeked beneath rolled up sleeves. Aomine knew their significance and was respectful enough to ignore them.

"My apologies, Aomine-kun. I thought you remembered I would be waiting here."

Aomine fingered a file loose and whacked Tetsu square on the head. "Don't do that."

The numb of elation faded and his headache returned with affection. He rubbed his forehead, the folders tucked to his hip.

Tetsu ignored his scolding and offered a hand. Aomine mechanically deposited the thin stack and the two started down the hall, away from the clamor of the director's post-meeting debate.

"Off to the see the Dan?"

Though the feeling was fleeting, Aomine was still in good enough a mood to offer a smile. Tetsu rarely required a debriefing and his penchant to read people went unrivaled.

"It took a bout with Araki to get the green light," said Aomine as he pocketed his hands, mindful to keep in pace to Tetsu. He convinced himself that now that he'd won the war for once, there was no need to rush. It took a lot to convince the Dan to override a decision of the War Administrator. But the directors could try if they were so desperate.

Tetsu offered a light chuckle. "Did Momoi-san have to interfere again?"

"I had to do something."

They stopped and turned. Satsuki stood behind them, papers and a thick manual cradled to her ample bosom. A breathy jade dress fell to her knees, black stockings leading to a pair of tan quarter-inch heels. Gold trim ornamented the collar of her dress and streamed beside four emerald buttons. Her beauty had always been compared to that of spring. Amaranthine and refreshing. A century hadn't marred a single inch of her skin.

"Trying your famous Tetsu impression?" Aomine snorted without remorse.

"I have no such impression, Aomine-kun." Satsuki laughed at Tetsu's usual deadpan.

She cleaved a space between the two and the group continued down the hall. Cleaning staff, assistants, holy folk, and temple residents loitered among the passages of the fifth temple, its walls nearly naked. Any and all craftsmanship was advertised in the second temple along with the library and an auxiliary wing housing the medical lab where priests and priestesses were trained in contemporary apothecary practices. .

They hook a right after threading through three nearly identical stretches of walkway. Accent lighting overtook the wider stretch of hall, cones of soft yellow cascading several stone statues carved from mountain rock of the nearby peaks. Wolves prowling snow-blanketed cliffs, howling to the pale moon, and others in the heat of killing a bulky elk complemented one wall. Aomine smiled at the symbolism. Wolves were creatures of the Ice. Royals and those of the upper tier had been awarded one to serve them since around the 6th century BCE where the familiar assisted with hunting game and balancing the battlefield. Delivering covert messages and companionship was their purpose now. They were loyal pack animals with an established hierarchy that dictated their society. Much like the Ice. The Elks, meanwhile, were subservient to the Fire. Temperamental forest prowlers, elks possessed an arrogance that led to hormonal-driven violence in the name of assertion. A trait the Fire was infamous for.

Aomine had never understood why the Fire decided to domesticate the elk until he was caught on the wrong side of a pair of antlers that gifted him with a three week reservation at the hospital and a ghostly white gash below his ribs.

They turned left to a lacquered staircase and climbed to the top. Only a pair of plain doublewide doors stood at the end of a shorter hallway, bleakly lit by florescent light strips pinned to the moldings.

Despite their orthodox nature, the Ice embraced electricity, among few modern technological achievements.

Satsuki approached and knocked.

A blurred voice beyond permitted them and one by one they filtered inside.

The room was intensely decorated. A marriage of east meets west. Brushwork paintings donned the walls portraying battle scenes, beautiful scenery, and wolves. Old-fashioned tatami mats covered the floor and a low tea-table centered the room. Two bookshelves guarded a delicately perched set of daggers and a large gilded mirror beyond the table. A faint aroma of mint and eucalyptus wafted through the room.

"Take a seat, all," the Dansaid his voice thick with Kansai-ben.

The three slipped out of their shoes, made difficult for Aomine given that he wore boots. He soon joined Satsuki opposite the Dan. Tetsu sat some feet behind Aomine, hands on his thighs and face relaxed but stony.

Imayoshi Shouichi was a man of value and customs. Keeping friends close but enemies closer. His poker face carried a badge of expert duplicity. A wise man would know to take anything he said at face value. Despite his shady disposition, Imayoshi was an experienced leader, the only one within the last century capable of contending with Akashi Seijuurou. Others abdicated and vanished into obscurity or placated the man's every whim.

Cowards.

Aomine and Satsuki waited as Imayoshi's scrawling hand danced across the page, one of many in front of him. More reports needing approval and recognition, no doubt. A subtle ticking consumed the room.

Aomine's brows pinched, hands fisting his pants. He'd already had to sit through one mind-numbing silence today and he wasn't about to entertain a second.

The words left his mouth unfiltered. "Any day now, Imayoshi."

Satsuki groaned and Tetsu hissed in desperation behind him.

They were right.

That was stupid.

The Dan's face lifted eyes narrow beneath his rectangular spectacles.

Moments stretched on.

Sure, they were family. But the man didn't suffer fools.

Family ties be damned.

Imayoshi's sudden laugh disarmed him, relieving his tension like a deflating balloon. "You never were patient, Aomine. I do appreciate the lack of tantrums, though."

"Everyone grows up," he said, trying not to be sour.

The Dan shuffled the papers together, aligning them with a few hearty thumps against the tabletop. The contents were shoved to the side and he stood, smoothing out his robes. Satsuki cleared her throat and raised a hand in protest.

"No need, Dan," she called. "Tea is too much trouble for a simple report and delivery."

The Dan slipped his hands into the robe's wide sleeves, a hooked grin claiming his lips. Against Satsuki's wishes he turned and padded to the corner where a kettle sat steaming over an electric burner. He crouched and reached for a pale blue tea cup beside the burner.

"I'll accept your account of the meeting, Momoi-san. Thank you for your diligent efforts." In all their years together, Aomine couldn't acclimate himself to Imayoshi's sickly-sweet formalities.

Satsuki slid a handful of papers across the table and rolled to her feet, aligning her dress. She stepped into her shoes and slipped out of the door only after offering Imayoshi a parting bow.

The Dan returned to his seat and tabled the tea cup with a decisive clack. "Kuroko-kun, may you step outside? I'm certain you're already privy to the meeting's turnout."

Without retort to the obvious jab, Tetsu rose and left in the same motion as Satsuki.

Once the door clicked shut, Aomine said, "Jealous that you're not the only one with a keen eye, Imayoshi?"

The words were unguarded and a smirk followed.

Imayoshi's stern countenance crumbled as a humble smile graced his wicked mouth and the two erupted in friendly laughter.

"Impatient _and_ impetuous." The Dan's voice calmed, throat soothed with a sip from his cup. "Why allow him to hear what he already knows?"

Point taken.

Aomine flicked a stray bead of moisture from his eye and slouched. The air of familiarity would allow it now that it was just the two of them.

Though, forcing blood to his already aggravated brain reminded him of his menacing headache. He palmed his forehead but the marginal difference of temperature wasn't enough to allay the bothersome thumping.

Imayoshi sidled to the kettle and produced a cup for Aomine. "I thought you learned your alcohol tolerance twenty years ago."

"I stopped drinking _religiously_ twenty years ago."

A dipsomaniac, he was not. An appreciator of fine liquors and a night of forgiven negligence to responsibility, he once was. Drinking revived unfriendly memories.

He bargained with the steady drumming of his head as Imayoshi prepared him a suitable remedy. "Wakamatsu actually overrode Araki."

"That's rare. She's ballsier than most on his board." The Dan's solecism was reassuring.

"That's probably because she's got 'em." It was hard not to laugh at his own joke and his brain thumped hard for good measure.

Imayoshi seated himself again and tenderly set the cup in front of Aomine along with a single pill. He pitched the pill in his mouth and tipped the cup against his lips to down it.

"He's authorized me to utilize my guild to set border traps to catch whatever rats manage to weasel through our barriers. I have plenty to dispatch even though all of them wouldn't hesitate to offer their availability. I'm to meet again with the board in the week to set up a collaborative offensive with the chief." Wakamatsu may not have disclosed it, but Aomine knew well enough how the eccentric's brain worked. When you spent enough hours of the day needling the man just for pleasure, idiosyncrasies revealed themselves.

"Much less barbaric than your past proposals," Imayoshi replied over the visor of his cup. "Why couldn't you have made it this easy to handle you as a child?"

Aomine snickered almost vindictively, briefly recalling his petulant resistance in his younger years. Not going to bed on time, shooing away attendants who tried to usher him to bathe or dress, and stealing food from the kitchen afterhours. His proudest achievement was participating in the hunter's guild entrance exams. Imayoshi had quarantined Aomine in his room and detailed a contingent of guards to keep him withdrawn. His escape was guaranteed after sliding a licentious piece of erotica—one he'd secured from his confiscated stash—through a crack in the sliding door. A quiet hop out the window and experienced trekking through the surrounding greenery led him to the guild headquarters. He passed with flying colors, which did not go unannounced to Imayoshi.

The punishment, though severe, was entirely worth it.

Considering that Aomine now headed the guild.

"It wouldn't have been fun that way."

Imayoshi seemed to register Aomine's moment of nostalgia and his face softened. His fingers daintily cradled his cup.

"Your parents would have been proud of you."

The words, rarely spoken, hit hard.

Aomine winced, gaze falling to his murky reflection.

He never knew his parents. According to Imayoshi, they met their fate to war. He was told that they weren't considered influential people in the Apparition world. His mother was a priestess who fell out of favor with many due to her crass indifference to tradition. She met his father, a government official, and the two disappeared to evade the public eye. But they were exactly the types to fall on the blade. Innocents that only whispered their dissentions yet still withheld intrinsic patriotism. Ones that were targeted by the thousands just to prove a political point and force surrender. The thought made Aomine's blood boil. He had always wanted to learn the character of his parents. Had they been good people? What were their hobbies? Did they even want a child?

They were Ice folk, as Imayoshi had told him, dark skinned, haired, and eyed. Just like Aomine. Even at one hundred years old, Aomine would reserve time on sleepless nights and think about his parents. If one asked, Aomine would say with certainty that Imayoshi was the only family Aomine had. And he'd loved the Dan like a father. He raised him to be intuitive, quick-witted, and decisive. Of all the studies Aomine labored to achieve, there was only one he could not grasp. And the pain followed him every day of his life.

He could not wield ice.

A birth defect, Imayoshi told him.

Ugly envy sprouted as he'd watched other children utilize their nature-given gift. Producing beautiful flurries that graced the winds. Conjuring sheets of frost that glistened off their flesh. Embracing the world around them in a freezing wisp of ice. Connecting with the very essence of their births. To be an Apparition was to _be _Ice. Or Fire. Or the Shadows. The dire realization that Aomine was an Apparition yet at the same time not burdened him. It compelled him to exercise greater effort to be taken seriously by those around him. He refused to be a pity case and a source of gossip.

He'd heard it in the halls most of his life.

_What if he's lying?_

_A birth defect that rare would have been documented and researched. Surely Dan Imayoshi is lying for his benefit._

_He's got to be a Neutral._

His jaw clenched.

Neutrals.

The very word spiked his blood pressure.

A deceitful lot, they were.

A product of poor Apparition breeding, Neutrals were Apparitions who lacked the ability to utilize their inherited power, much like Aomine. Birthed from a hybrid and pureblood Apparition, Neutrals were theorized to be genetic waste, withholding their parents' powerful genes to be squandered with their inability to produce legitimate offspring. Every recording in history noted that Neutrals possessed black hair and eyes. Surely they stood out among the Wind and Earth, inferior Apparitions like the Ice. The denomination was coined by the arrogant Fire and Lightning Apparitions nearly ten thousand years ago, or so history dictates.

The Ice was _not _inferior. They were patient and attacked methodically. Not in a whirlwind of untamed violence.

Faint warmth to his hand broke the spell of concentration clouding Aomine's senses.

"You know what you are. Apparition heritage, in light of your other successes, means nothing," he said and Aomine straightened. "You've my authorization to punish them. With non-lethal means."

Aomine smiled at the hasty correction and shook his head. "That's not necessary. Feigning indifference allows me to practice self-restraint. No form of my punishment is non-lethal, Imayoshi." He brought the cup to his lips and swallowed the rest of the now lukewarm tea. "It wasn't how you taught me."

Imayoshi laughed and firmed his posture as well. He set the cup aside and reached for Satsuki's report.

Aomine intercepted the signal and rose. "Summon me if you need anything."

A familiar smirk hooked the Dan's mouth as the papers were observed. "Absolutely."


	2. Chapter 2

:II:

The walk from the Dan's office taxed Aomine's mind. It had been a while since he relived the thought of his parents. It was bitter and in no way sweet. His own failure to produce a family stung deep and he spent the last fifty years of his life convincing himself that it wasn't meant to be. Surely Imayoshi would accept that. So far he had left the matter alone.

Aomine retraced his steps to the hall of lupine statues and found his eyes looking not at them, but at the even larger effigy across the way. It was wider than it was taller. A woman lying on her side, belly firm and round with expectant life. Etched upon it were six little children, all clamoring within their shared womb. One was on fire. Another with sharp, static edges. A third was hatched with gentle strokes, as if shaded. The fourth was being blown away. The fifth sported a leafy wig with stick-like protrusions. And the sixth was faceted, like a crystal.

Mother Nature. Birth mother to the Apparitions.

An old story, told six different ways.

"This is the first time I've seen you stop to admire her."

The voice was instantly familiar and Aomine was too clouded in thought to be surprised. A grunt was all he offered.

"She's been drawn so many different ways," she said softly, as if to be mindful of passersby despite the emptiness of the hall. "In each rendition, though, she's always expecting."

He turned from the statue, eyes drawn to Satsuki.

She was pinching her left ring finger. Her expression pained.

The old-age guilt festered.

It squeezed his chest and scratched its way up his throat until he couldn't stop it.

"I'm sorry, Satsuki."

She winced and he cursed himself.

"You know it wasn't your fault." She forced a small laugh and folded her hands behind her back. "All a man determines is the sex, right? If the child doesn't live, it's the mother's responsibility to shoulder."

He didn't like that she did this.

Hypocritical of him, he knew.

But Satsuki tried. Three separate times.

Each was a failure.

In their youth, Aomine had come of age. It was tradition among the Ice that men marry and father children once they turn thirty—young, in comparison to their almost three-hundred-year lifespans. Most waited another thirty years. The tradition came into effect in more medieval times, when life was lost more frequently to war. Imayoshi considered Aomine's lack of romantic interest in several of the women he'd courted and, upon reflection, suggested a trustworthy woman to bear children.

Momoi Satsuki.

The pair was inseparable since their meeting as near-infants. There was deep understanding, respect, and love between them, even though Imayoshi recognized the difference between familial and romantic love. Aomine was resistant at the start, as he hadn't outgrown his rebellious phase. Satsuki showed similar hesitation, not wanting to risk damaging their relationship. But the Ice's doctrine was strict on just how many liberties women had. True, she could have refused to marry. But once vows were exchanged, a woman was to follow her husband's will.

In the end, they were married.

The union lasted twenty years. Aomine couldn't say it was a drastically life-altering decision, as few things between them were different. Being married to your best friend meant you had reservations to their body. But that wasn't what Aomine enjoyed about their marriage.

It was having someone to come home to.

It was having someone who worried about your problems.

It was having _family_.

Three times within their twenty years together, they tried to bear a child. The pregnancies had gone full term, and each time Aomine had been there to support Satsuki. She had made all three deliveries. The babies, however, only lived to be around a week old. Not long enough to be awarded a name by his or her new parents.

The first time, she was convinced that some infants presented complications post-birth.

The second time, she was hesitant to accept the truth and blamed herself.

The third time, she disappeared from home. Aomine had found her after an extensive search through the dense woods surrounding the temple grounds. She was huddled in front of a nondescript grave. He eased beside her and noticed a porcelain vase clutched to her chest. The cremated remains of their third child, dead after only three days.

He hadn't known she buried them, but he told himself not to feel shafted. After all, he could never fathom a mother's sorrow.

They remained together for little under a year before they decided a divorce was in order. Their union was not one of love, but security.

The matter was buried and their relationship as friends has remained otherwise unmarred.

Aomine tipped his gaze down to his left hand. A lackluster band adorned his ring finger, virtually untouched since their separation.

He'd tried to will himself to remove it.

But it just wasn't possible.

The last physical reminder of the family he seemed destined not to deserve.

"No," he finally said after a stretched silence. "This one's on us both. Don't invalidate my responsibility, either, Satsuki."

Seeing the hurt still struggling to surface, he sighed and opened his arms.

Satsuki's thin brows creased and her lips pursed. Stiff shoulders unhinged and a mild sob spilled from her mouth. She clapped her hand over her mouth and turned to him.

"You're too tall." A timid laugh bubbled between her choked words.

But he stooped to her level and allowed her to relieve herself.


	3. Chapter 3

:III:

Imayoshi perused Momoi's account of the meeting with mild interest, following a relaxing breakfast of fried fish, rice, miso, and picked vegetables. She was diligent to the point of officious. He discarded the papers in favor of Wakamatsu's report, cumulative data from his scouts' perimeter reconnaissance, troop expenses, and individual filings from each of his five directors. He estimated the gravity of the situation with Lord Akashi was reaching critical mass. Honestly, he expected the man to have made a move months ago following an incident where Ice villagers publically executed a handful of Fire Apparitions arrested for murdering a family foraging along the borderline.

Lord Akashi hadn't liked the sudden motion, sanctioned without contacting him first, as protocol required.

But murder was murder and capital punishment was the consequence.

The Fire was no less quick to draw the blade against the convicted.

In this particular region, the Fire and Ice once again shared a border. The last time had been eons ago, while the two were still under one constitution. Border conflicts were an everyday occurrence and having to contact Akashi everyday to placate the persistent racism-induced beleaguering strained his nerves.

Unless border-traipsing dignitaries crossed paths with the hunter's guild, then he and the Lord had nothing to discuss.

He retrieved another stack of papers. The script lazily written with a familiar hand. What Aomine made up for in competence he lacked in patience. The penwork was hardly legible, even to Imayoshi's schooled eyes. Through dedication he translated the pages with cursory sweeps. Standard procedure. Within the report contained a detail of trap and weapon inventory, the status of POWs, and catalogued game captured and preserved for meals, textile, and medicine. The last page of Aomine's contribution was abused with abundant crinkles and daubed with soil, what he hoped was water, and dried blood.

As all prior submissions had been.

A checklist of terminated Neutrals. At least a good dozen for this month. More than usual.

Imayoshi smirked at Aomine's productivity.

"Did well, did he?" The new voice piqued his attention.

An undefined blob bubbled from a gloomy corner in the dimly lit room. The darkness faded to reveal a tall figure cloaked in muted colors. Sun-kissed skin shone only above the collar of a leather jacket. The gleam of a watch captured a weak shimmer. Flat-bottomed sneakers cushioned his steps as the figure neared.

Imayoshi separated the mutilated sheet from the otherwise perfect stack. "Uncharacteristically so, yes."

Susa Yoshinori took the proffered sheet. A bulky envelope was lobbed unceremoniously to the table following a glance over of Aomine's recent itinerary.

The man said little until business was completed. Which suited him fine.

Susa was a man Imayoshi wanted in the foxhole with him when things got hairy. Critical, objective, and sharp-witted, Susa got the results the Dan wanted and more. The Shadow Apparition served him in other ways, including an active conduit to correspondences between Lord Akashi Seijuurou and Kaizer Hyuuga Junpei. An adjunct line of communication to Czar Nakatani Masaaki of the Shadow was a welcome bonus.

A quick probing in the envelope satisfied Imayoshi.

Currency traded for satisfying yet another contract. To be dispensed to Aomine's contingent later.

"I hear Akashi's at the end of his rope," Susa said, carelessly folding the paper and stuffing it into his pocket.

"Is that the truth or are you needling for an explanation?"

Silence and a subtle smirk was his answer.

Imayoshi reached for an innocuous book among the organized clutter of the tea-table and opened the cover to reveal a remote tucked into appropriately carved pages. Susa shuffled to the mirror and unhinged it from the wall. A clutch of monitors beaded from a recess in the wall. The two attended to the raspy images produced by the remote trigger.

Surveillance was traditionally conducted by a patrol squad under Wakamatsu's charge. However once Imayoshi was sworn to the temple throne, the infallibility of national security dropped enough to encourage a bit of extra protection. The installation was and would continue to be withheld from the public. The imminent scandal would ruin his reputation as an honest sovereign with complete faith in his supporting administrators.

Only choice feeds were transmitted.

The lobby of the hunter's guild. Aomine's chamber. Kuroko's barracks. The hall leading to his office. To name a few.

"So which is it, Susa?" Imayoshi probed, eyes studying each screen for problems.

"Akashi's been talking to Hyuuga about providing support for an invasion." The answer is swift and curt.

He groaned and slid his glasses down his nose. Fingertips massaged the pits of his eyes.

That was the last thing he needed. Not that he hadn't been anticipating the gesture.

The Rus-Ainu Pact of 1000 CE was the worst thing to happen to the Apparition world. A political alliance between the Lightning and Fire Apparition tribes. Thousands of years of feral warfare led to one conclusion. Too similar in nature and nearly equal in strength, the then-rulers of the tribes deduced that neither would be blessed with victory. Only genocide. Which sat well with no one. A settlement was easily reached and the tribes assimilated into mighty kingdoms and with capital power. To instigate the Fire was tantamount to aggressing the Lightning. The Ice was intimately aware of the effects of the partnership—when accosted, one hardly acted without the other. It was a darker phase in the kingdom's history. The Ice had both earned an enemy and lost its allies. The Lightning was at its largest then and ravenously annexed neighboring land by the acre through guerilla tactics and unrestrained collateral damage.

The Shadow suffered the greatest blow.

The Wind faced an instant threat of usurpation and systematic population control as the Lightning's most hated enemy. A natural disharmony of the elements.

The King and Queen—_Rey and Reina__—_failed to elicit the Ice's assistance, as the Dan suffered losses from not only the northern and southern lands, but the seas.

Negligence warranted the Mother's Republic Treaty, dissolving the Ice's relationship to the Wind, and Earth by association as the two were a package deal.

Times had been difficult since then. Even after the Wolf Pack Pact Imayoshi begrudgingly acquiesced to sixteen years ago. Outlined, were terms that significantly abolished the Ice's military, something that thoroughly outraged him.

If Akashi was in talks with Hyuuga, Imayoshi's outlook wasn't so promising.

Whereas the Lord's aggression was calculated with a sickening calm, Hyuuga did not hesitate to unleash the fury of his army's strength.

To have the two of them knocking on his door spelled absolute devastation.

Which is why he needed to maneuver carefully.

"Moving faster than I anticipated," Imayoshi said. His eyes locked on the screen displaying the guild's lobby. Hunters milled about heaving boxes laden with equipment off screen. He spotted Aomine passing under the camera's gaze, disappearing into the barracks. He had yet to see Kuroko.

Which was a problem.

He needed to wrap this meeting up. Susa could not be compromised.

"Do some damage control with the border discrepancies," the man advised. "And mind your manners at the summit this week."

The implication stung.

"Hardly enough to reverse the incurred damage," he scoffed affixing his glasses properly. "Exacerbated by _him_ and his unruly band of…"

A blur catches his eyes on the monitor observing the hallway outside his office. He jumped to his feet with trained stealth and returned the mirror to its perch. Susa expertly glided to the dark corner and dissolved into the blackness as if he'd never existed. The remote was deposited to its nook as he sucked a breath to compose himself.

Damn Kuroko Tetsuya.

"I don't appreciate the skulking, Kuroko-kun."

The door creaked open.

The shadow entered appropriately and stood at attention before the tea-table, waiting until Imayoshi settled before speaking. "My apologies."

"How can I help you?"

"Please recall Aomine-kun from this morning's hunt."

What he heard was a demand, not a request.

He squinted appraisingly.

"Your reason?"

Kuroko remained passive and eerily composed. "I saw an elk in the forest."

Hardly ever had the shadow's keen senses been wrong. True, Imayoshi didn't like sharing such a fine talent with one from the Shadow.

Yet, an elk?

He repressed a groan. Another unwelcome cog in his plans.

Thinking quickly, he asked, "Are you sure it wasn't a deer?"

The irate tweak in the otherwise stiff shadow's brow was satisfying.

"Similar family and size. Easily misconstrued in the fog."

"Nigou doesn't confuse prey with enemies." Kuroko is quick to cushion his sharp rebuttal by adding, "I recognized the animal's girth, Dan. Too thick to be a deer."

This was unpleasant. So he decided on a different avenue to discharge Kuroko from his sight.

"Not certain you could handle the threat, Kuroko-kun?" he said. "Having spotted an elk means that one from the upper echelons of the Fire Kingdom has transgressed our border. Will there be a problem offering your services?"

His last line was delivered with conviction. He steepled his fingers and leaned expectantly forward, awaiting Kuroko's retort.

Silence.

So he continued.

"Certain you aren't jealous that someone else has laid stake to your claim? After all, you weren't so successful in attempting to assassinate Aomine and now that he's warmed up to you, it wouldn't be much of a challenge to act now." If Kuroko was accepting the bait, Imayoshi couldn't be sure as the shadow's face was rigid.

He decided to get straight to the point. "You will do what you are contracted to do. Should your loyalty fail you," he gestured to the leather collar shielded by Kuroko's shirt. Insurance guaranteed to electrocute the sprat within an inch of life at the touch of a button always on Aomine's person. "You'll be promptly eliminated."

Kuroko's porcelain mask of indifference cracked, mouth tightening. He bowed his head in understanding.

Imayoshi reached for the collection of strewn papers.

A whish of air. Then a hefty thunk to the floor.

His eyes found a dagger embedded deep into the tatami of the darkened corner.

Affronted, Imayoshi searched for Kuroko.

He was gone, the door to the office ajar.

"Wretched little…" his incurred temper overtook his voice.

Susa reappeared from the corner, crawling from the shadows as if surfacing from a hole. He palmed the dagger.

"Tugging hard on the leash, that one."

He said nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

:IV:

Kuroko sat in the hunter's guild barracks. The interior was plain. Planks of timber sheathed the walls and ceiling of the large rectangular room. Wall sconces allowed adequate lighting after sundown. Half a dozen windows opened on one wall as the only source of natural light. Walkways formed a grid pattern between platforms blanketed with futons that overlapped to display a sea of white where Aomine's men slept.

Conversation floated through the expanse as the men assigned to pursue and gather trapped game donned their gear. Some development was necessary to design the uniform. Printed in the varied green palate of the surrounding vegetation, the material was thick enough to resist weathering. Simple pockets adorned the three-quarter sleeves, which left arm flexibility unrestricted. Thick leather backed by a steel plate was sewn into the chest and thighs of straight-legged cargos. Potent enough to deflect the grunt of the blade and the aggression of forest beasts. Boots sheathed the feet and gloves, the hands. Since its evolution, fewer casualties were suffered in the field.

His vestments were similar in protection as the technology was borrowed from the Shadow.

But he couldn't be bothered to indulge his pride.

His mind churned from the discussion with the Dan.

Something was amiss.

It wasn't the first time Imayoshi attacked him about his failed attempt to terminate Aomine. Despite what the Dan perceived, Kuroko harbored no ill intentions. The shame of capture and indefinite servitude allowed him to live another day. Another week. Another thirty-four years. Though it had resulted from the Dan's admission, his life was indebted only to Aomine. There was no animosity disguised as conciliation between them. Instead a simple partnership that gave Kuroko life, a job, a home, and a shared pet.

A burly malamute sat with gargoyle stiffness at his feet. Only its ears moved, motioning to follow the swarm of noises.

Aomine was the first dignitary in the last millennium to possess a familiar that was not a wolf. Found as a pup under the predatory glint of a ravenous fox, Aomine nursed the dog back to health with Momoi's assistance. Characterized with a white face mask and fair eyes that seemed unreadable, Aomine settled on the name _Tetsuya Nigou_—Tetsuya number two, punctuated to Nigou. Training was Kuroko's jurisdiction. Today, the malamute served the purposes of companionship, hunting fowl, and transporting carts of the guild's goods.

Even with the dog's large size, he was nothing Kuroko couldn't handle.

He hoped today fared well.

The hunt was the most vulnerable Aomine would ever be when not bathing. Even while sleeping and eating, Kuroko or Nigou were on guard.

Yet it was what had sealed his fate thirty-four years ago, and so many more before him. But he hadn't the time to reminisce and mourn the loss of fellow assassins as a loud noise reached him.

A booming voice entered the barracks.

Kuroko opened his ears and cast a wary eye.

Nigou followed suit.

A brick wall of a man sauntered through the portal. Dark hair cropped tight against his scalp and a disciplined face gave a militant look. A white tank top contrasted his burnt skin. The hearty beat of his boots on the wood cleared the way for him without a word spoken.

And Aomine fell into his path.

"Aomine," the man called again, voice gruff and baritone.

His charge fastened a belt around his hips and locked eyes with Combat Squad chief Nebuya Eikichi.

Tree trunk-like arms folded across the chief's ribs and a mutually undesirable smugness curled his mouth. "How's the hangover?"

Aomine absorbed the taunt and plopped on a nearby platform. He stooped to lace his boots.

"Marginal compared to my shoulder, dick." The insult was blunted with familiarity but his charge's eyes held enmity.

Nebuya shrugged. "I've been telling you to drop it. You're too scrawny to best me. Just accept it."

Impatient with the struggle of the laces, Aomine wrapped them around his calves and stood to face the chief. Kuroko thought to intervene but wouldn't risk impugning Aomine's pride. The man could be melancholy and downright sour when he was doted on.

Nothing Kuroko was prepared to shoulder.

"Still lithe enough to out-maneuver you on the mat, Nebuya." Aomine adjusted his upturned collar and his lips peeled an arrogant grin. "Schedule me in for a match this week. We'll be seeing a lot of each other."

The chief's thin brows sloped.

"I got the okay from Wakamatsu. This week you and your pack of bears will be cooperating with me to dispel those annoying flies at the border. Wouldn't hurt to work my muscles some and uproot your gigantic ass in front of your confederates."

The barb achieved the desired effect and Nebuya sputtered angrily as Aomine glanced to a watch strapped to his wrist.

Aomine summoned the attention of assigned hunters and by the pair the room emptied. He passed the still flustered chief and called for Kuroko.

Nigou popped to all fours and trotted the walkway.

Kuroko followed, sparing Nebuya a cursory glance upon passing and slipped the portal.

—

Kagami Taiga's bones tingled with familiar excitement.

Passing the border into Ice Apparition territory had been relatively effortless, an avenue carved through the efforts of several impassioned Fire Apparitions eager to placate the Lord's ever-growing agitation. The sacrifices were many but such was the demand of conflict. Not that Kagami accepted it wholeheartedly. But he'd rather approach the reality pragmatically. Miles of verdant brush had been cleared in the yawning hours of the early morning. Jagged mountain terrain hadn't proved difficult for his elk to surpass, the creature skillfully bounding over fissures and ridges in elegant prances worthy of poetry.

His internal clock told him that the journey consumed nearly five hours and that it was two hours short of midday. He looked through the tufts of the towering pines to seek the sun for confirmation. But the clouds had yet to yield to the brilliant shine.

Kagami surveyed his surroundings and identified another tripwire.

Ridiculous.

Eleven of the devices already lay disarmed in his pouch to avoid being reinstalled upon discovery. Skilled ease deactivated and fulfilled the dozen.

He edged closer, keeping his core tight to mute his approach. Using the elk this far in would draw suspicion so he turned it loose a good mile back to be summoned again with a sharp designated whistle. It was a ways until the loom of the temples came into view. A scout related that an hour and a half trek more would reveal the bleary vestige of the Ice's principal settlement. Kagami estimated another hour would land him at the star's southeastern point—the fifth finger or fifth point, as it was denoted.

Though his nerves were alive and firing, an indolent aftertaste followed each practiced breath. Humidity and Kagami did not mix. Not necessarily Fire Apparition repellant, but it afflicted him with a languid and tired feeling.

He needed to revitalize his energies.

With expert motion he scaled a sturdy birch and nestled his spine against the trunk fifty feet off the ground. From the thigh pocket of his cargo pants he produced a neatly folded sheet tattooed with a savage crinkle to one half. A monochrome headshot and profile at the top right corner depicted a swarthy-skinned man, appearing no older than one hundred. Dark hair, a strong jaw, and menacingly narrow lackluster eyes. Information below introduced the man.

_Subject is one Aomine Daiki_

_Height at one hundred ninety-two centimeters_

_Weight between eighty to eighty-five kilograms_

_THREAT LEVEL 1—Immediate termination required. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION_

_Observations: Subject possesses a familiar; Malamute dog, estimated forty kilograms. Breast and throat guarded by a specialized anti-assault harness. A shadow accompanies the Subject. Registered pale blue hair and eyes; appears frail in stature but proven lethal in force_

_Recommendations: The Subject specializes in close combat techniques to disarm, redirect, and incapacitate aggressors. Noted as quick on his feet. Capable of performing perfunctory motions that appear random_

His brow creased as the words hardened his bearings. It had taken some insistence to acquire the contract and concern came from unwanted angles. The list of names signed under the disclaimer only fortified his ambition. His name was among them, on the back of the sheet near the far bottom corner. Everyone before him had lost their lives to Aomine Daiki, assassins from all three Shadow Apparition charters.

Would he be next? Another accolade for the bastard to tack on his wall of accomplishments?

A recent conference, just hours ago, resurfaced in his mind.

_Kagami donned his protective gear. A fitting long-sleeved shirt squeezed his middle beneath a vest padded with suitable protection. Dull green cargos sheathed his thighs and sturdy hiking boots gripped his feet. He looked to the layout of accessories strewn across the duvet of his western-styled bed._

_A handful of throwing knives, brass knuckles, caltrops, and piano wire._

_His trademark rested above the lot._

_A short-bladed sword, the _kodachi_. Typically used in pairs, Kagami preferred to utilize a solo blade, so as to disarm an enemy and grapple them into submission with his available hand. Several superficial grooves glimmered off the blade's surface by way of a candle on the nearby desktop. Tallies. For the Neutrals eliminated thus far. Kagami wasn't vain enough to advertise his accomplishments to anyone but himself. A reminder to maintain his efforts, more like. _

_He went to work sheathing sharpened edges into holsters and threaded a belt through his pant loops._

_A knock on the door, followed but a dulcet voice, surprised him._

_Akashi Seijuurou slid inside without admittance._

_Kagami cast a glance out the partially drawn curtains. Indigo hugged the edge of the trees and mountains, chasing away the night. Too early for his brother to be awake._

_Well, half-brother._

"_In a hurry, Taiga?"_

_He ignored the inquisition. "You're overly eager to meet the sun."_

_Akashi's heterochromatic stare burned the back of his neck but he didn't turn or rescind his barb. Unlike Kagami, who spent nearly all of his time outdoors, a contrasting pallor hued his brother's skin. Even more of a reminder that the two were so vastly different._

_The belt was secured and holsters attached to accessible holes. _

"_Hand it over."_

_Kagami threw him an incredulous stare. He knew what his brother wanted but wasn't keen on involving Akashi in his business._

_They weren't estranged by any means. But the pair waded in opposite ends of the pool of social hierarchy. Akashi maintained the nation, enveloped himself in the complicated verse of government, and remained available at all times within the castle. Kagami, in contrast, entertained himself with intense athleticism, offering help to the community beyond castle walls, and kept himself so busy juggling obligations and recreation that it was hard to keep track of him._

_His furtive Neutral hunting activities hadn't gone without his brother's notice. Akashi had confirmed that it was Kagami's way of assisting the nation, protecting their culture. Though he was quick to protest contracts delineated with a threat assessment of two or higher—the closer to one, the greater the risk._

_Akashi didn't ask twice. He simply held out his hand, fingers beckoning compliance._

_Begrudgingly Kagami swiped the page from the desk a stride and a half away and passed it over._

_He studied the calculating shift of his brother's eyes across the page._

"_No."_

_His brow cocked. "Excuse me?"_

_Akashi's brows tightened, peering over the sheet. "I cannot allow this."_

_Kagami swiped the sheet back with such aggression it wrinkled. "I'm a big boy, Akashi."_

"_Seijuurou," he corrected, earning a dismayed groan._

_He left the scolding alone. For now. Fifteen years his senior and with a mother complex. Or father. But a complex nonetheless._

"_This ain't my first rodeo," he insisted, burrowing the sheet into the pocket of his cargos._

"_Your impudence is going to get you killed, Taiga. Rethink this."_

"_Then dance at my funeral pyre." Tightness gripped his throat._

_He stalked past his brother to the doorway._

"_Taiga."_

_Against his judgment, he stopped. And waited._

"_Mist is a siren." The response followed a mild silence. "Don't let her seduce you"_

_Kagami scoffed and left._

Though it sounded cryptic at first, Kagami realized his brother's hidden message. _You're at a disadvantage. Think before you act._ He may not have had a handle on politics, but he recognized the egregious situation in which the world was currently in. Responsibility was what brought him to observe his brother's meetings with the cabinet.

The Xia Union was the center of it all.

Thousands of years ago, estimated around 2000 BCE, the tribes of Fire and Ice acquiesced to combine their efforts and formulate a joint civilization in what is now China. Their joining was known as the Xia Union, inspired by the rise of the Xia Dynasty in a remote location snuggled between Henan and Shanxi. Their differences were obvious from the start. Polar opposites in nature, the tribes developed separate senses of social conduct, government, gender roles, and justice. Civil war shattered the relationship and centuries were wasted trying to mend that which was irreparable. The Fire wanted to expel the Ice and vice versa. Both tribes had their eyes on the same prize. An archipelago to the East, uncultivated and pristine.

Japan.

An intense conflagration spanned a good three thousand years before an agreement was reached.

The Ice had been reluctant to negotiate as the Fire intended to claim the Japanese Islands _and_ the entirety of China halfway through the war. Bargaining issued that, in lieu of further bloodshed, the two tribes were better off an ocean apart with a peninsula to separate them. The arrangement had proven beneficial in evolving the simple tribes into pulsing kingdoms. But animosity ran deep. The Fire was greedy. Japan offered little to be desired. But more was always better and China's vast natural wilderness was a sultry temptress that the Fire could not ignore.

Following the dissolution of the Xia Union in 1000 CE, the Fire sailed west and set up shop after clearing a path in a fiery maelstrom. The defense perpetuated by the Ice proved difficult to weaken and the Fire called upon their new allies of Eurasia, an empire spanning six-point-six million square miles with one third of the terrain remotely livable at the time. The Lightning in Russia. A pale race of extremists who took what they wanted with decisive action. The _Kaizer_—their sovereign—was more than amicable at the mention of war with the Ice. Anything to increase their borders and resources was a welcome invitation to the Lightning.

A two-way front was endorsed and effectively shrunk the rim of the Ice's hold to the northwest nook, a map of jagged peaks and copious forests. The majority of China was once again in the Fire's clutches and the Ice successfully pigeonholed. Offenses continued irregularly when embittered Apparitions acted on spurious patriotic urges. Despite their confinement, the Ice migrated the world to expand their empire and found arable remoteness in the Americas where a secondary capital was installed. Many had seen it as an act of fatalism from the then Dan's weak conscience. And it aggravated the Fire's competitive spirit.

As expected, the Ice's dormant rebellion was reignited, encouraged by the tenure of Dan Imayoshi, elected after the prior was forced to retire his claim following public outrage.

It wasn't until the 1990s that a peace accord was reached. Albeit one that disadvantaged the Ice.

_A date with the noose_, as Imayoshi so eloquently phrased it.

Their military was disassembled and any and all future hostilities quelled with the threat of immediate foreign occupation. The Dan had been fighting the motion silently with what Akashi considered petty insolence. Though Kagami's people weren't saintly—massacring Ice villagers within a five hundred-foot margin of the borders—Imayoshi made no excuses or apologies for the cruel capital punishment carried out by vengeful comrades. The Dan had no auxiliary support to execute covert operations to gain an upper hand in the east. The cornered fox was bearing his teeth and raring to bite. The question was when and where.

The solution lay in the north. With Kaizer Hyuuga.

Speculation and intelligence reports were all Hyuuga and Akashi had to assess the situation. And it appeared imminent that Imayoshi was preparing for an offensive not against the Fire, but the Lightning. The Fire held the advantage in strength against the Ice and lacked adequate bodies to abate the impending offensive. The Lighting possessed a marginal effect. The coming days would confirm the course of action and Kagami was eager to hear it.

Which meant he had to conduct himself with professional ease and neutralize Aomine Daiki.

He doubted the man's death would provide a catalyst to weaken the Ice.

But the man was a Neutral—wasted space—and a serial killer responsible for the death of five A-grade Shadow assassins of the Fire Apparition charter.

Aomine needed to die.

His resolve was fortified and he pocketed the sheet once again. Kagami scanned the geography to find no changes.

He descended the tree and advanced.


	5. Chapter 5

:V:

Aomine remained crouched in the shady confines of a tall pine, still and unmoving. The static of his earpiece whispered to him as he awaited confirmation from his confederates on the results of their overnight traps. His nerves danced with anticipation, hardly quelled by the phantom presence of Tetsu who perched himself on a branch over Aomine's head. The only reassurance he got was an occasional crunch of the shadow's boots against the bark.

His men were responsible for tending the traps, dispersing through the thickets to verify kills both beast and Neutral.

He didn't think it possible, but some of the bastards were actually stupid enough to become ensnared and caught alive. Poor judgment on their part, but a great bounty for Aomine and his crew. As head of the guild, Aomine reserved the right to not only terminate live-captured Neutrals, but conduct the hunt for fresh game.

Which he could only do once he received the total overnight yield.

He studied the area as he waited.

Calm and eerie. The fog hung low, allowing for a maximum visibility of around one hundred and fifty feet, or so he estimated. It had been at least an hour since the hunt commenced and it felt close to noon. Though Aomine wasn't any good at judging time.

Hence Tetsu's routine wake-up calls.

The feed in his ear crackled and his hand zoomed to concentrate the noise.

"Clutch one," a low voice. "A dozen fowl, three deer, and four foxes."

About average. He registered the amount and waited for subsequent news, which came a moment later.

"Clutch two, one moose and one pheasant."

Not horrible, but not great.

Further correspondences flowed through and Aomine calculated the final tally. Though a few of the clutches—traps grouped in a designated region of the terrain—produced little to tabulate, the catch would be respected and its remains used economically.

Aomine's nerves spiked with vigor.

The count for the yield was low three deer. Excellent.

He rose, hugging the trunk as he patched an order through the channel, "Teams one through four deliver the goods to the temple kitchen. Teams five through ten retrieve the nets from the reservoir."

A few miles from the temple were a patchwork of lakes. The main attraction was the larger of the pools, where a system of nets was anchored at the end of every week to be retrieved in five to seven days.

Confirmation on the other end concluded the transmission and Aomine thumbed the device off his ear. He eased from the trunk and pursued a twisting trail of unkempt shrubs and pebbles. Tetsu was nowhere to be seen, but Nigou trotted alongside him. Which meant that the shadow was flitting close by, keeping a weather eye out.

Few things distracted Aomine, his senses wired to the prospect of the hunt.

He'd dismissed all his men to enjoy the rapture of today's morning victories alone.

It was only three deer.

Suddenly a wicked jostle of leaves behind him.

He whirled, blade thrusting for contact.

A weak resistance with a strong grip stopped him and he let his bearings realign.

Tetsu stared with concern. Nigou paced, his momentary excitement squelched by Aomine's unexpected motion.

"Will you quit that?" He smacked the shadow's hand away and slid the knife into a thigh holster.

At that moment he realized Tetsu appeared at eye level, half of his body still molded to the ghostly shade of another pine.

"Something up?"

Tetsu slid himself from the retreat yet kept his hand tangled within the hazy darkness. As if ready to embrace it at a moment's notice.

"I saw an elk this morning, Aomine-kun."

An uneasy weight settled deep in his gut. Lucrative but not always worth the trouble. If his scar was any indication.

"We need deer, not elk." He palmed his neck and turned to continue on.

Tetsu grabbed his shirt.

Odd. He was hardly ever this cagey.

He glanced to Nigou and saw similar apprehension in the malamute's eyes.

Silently he blessed the two of them and their instincts. Elk and moose were prominent species in the area and it wasn't uncommon to confuse them on foggy mornings like this.

The dots connected and his brow stiffened with a smile. "Looks like someone's come to see me."

"This isn't funny, Aomine-kun." Tetsu's voice adopted a novel sternness.

But he couldn't abate the eagerness cracking his lips apart. The elk equated to a high class Fire Apparition. He ignored the nagging voice advising that he err on the side of caution. It had been a serendipitous series of events. And all within three hours. But to overlook the chance of taking down a royal elk or the greater accomplishment of capturing a Fire dignitary? No way. Rarely was Aomine presented with such opportunity.

He shrugged off the bow strapped across his torso and thumbed for an arrow. "Tell me where you saw it."

—

Kagami crept through the stillness, ears tuned to the ambiance. The exertion to remain attentive was taxing as his muscles argued vehemently. He willed them to cooperate. Bargained, even. Apparitions his age were well versed to their limitations and would never purposely put themselves at a disadvantage. The breathy fog taunted his body with languid lust and the urge to crumple into a drowsy pile.

But he resisted and pressed on, vaulting soundlessly over a toppled beech.

_Crack._

He froze, eyes darting across the expanse before him.

Movement. One hundred feet away.

Kagami sidled to a row of berried bushes and waited.

A gray blur neared. Not yet distinguishable between man or beast.

He reached for a throwing knife on his calf.

It edged closer. Seventy feet.

Sixty.

He scooted to the edge and cocked his arm.

Fifty.

Kagami leaned from cover and flicked the weapon.

The elk screeched and skipped the knife by mere inches.

He sighed, tense breaths suddenly accompanying his racing heart. Damn animal.

"I didn't summon you," he whispered through a spit of agitation as he carefully recovered the knife, gaze roving the area.

The knife was returned to the holster and he beckoned the animal to him. He grabbed its muzzle upon approach. A nervous light gleamed in the elk's eyes that Kagami had seen a few times before. Ears turned feverishly. Hooves tapped the earth with tentative touches. Somehow the creature eased its way behind Kagami and that's when the realization dawned on him.

A cursory inspection of the animal's body showed no injury as of yet. No sign of struggle or escape, either. The leather saddle pad remained intact.

A predator was nearby.

The elk came to alert him. He smiled and stroked its face.

Then an idea came to him.

It may have been nothing to concern himself with. But maybe it was.

With a pop to its haunch, the elk trotted off into the mist.

Kagami tailed the creature using the ample coverage of forest overgrowth. Its ears were all the indication he needed. Four hundred feet were cleared and then it stopped.

He halted. Did it locate the predator?

The elk's posture adopted the lethargy that Kagami's muscles so desperately coveted and began sauntering aimlessly, mouth searching the forest floor for edible tidbits.

Perfect.

Kagami pressed against the nearest tree and, with quickened ease, scaled its length.

—

Aomine slowed his advance following Nigou's signal. The dog crept with molten slowness. Ears erect, eyes alert, hackles stiff. A silent trek through six hundred feet of patchy dense trail led them into view of an oblong clearing no greater than fifty feet in diameter. Then the dog paused, head rearing up.

Aomine tightened his grip on the bow, index finger curled over a loaded arrow.

Leaves trickled down and he quickly peeked overhead. Tetsu skipped to a neighboring branch that did little to dip under the shadow's weight. Leaning into the sturdy bulk of a towering fir, he watched as Tetsu seamlessly threaded the twiggy netting. Nigou snorted and took off in the opposite direction.

He disregarded their retreat and observed movement through the fog.

A faint blur. But large. Possibly his quarry.

Aomine pushed off the bark and slithered with long strides to the cover offered by a hulking boulder. Nothing indicated that he'd been detected.

Feathery fingers stretched from the blur's head.

He moved obliquely to a hearty shrub and identified a darker patch across the back.

A leather pad and girth wrap.

_Excellent_.

Aomine gauged the creature's awareness before zigzagging to decrease distance. He found a U-bend of shrubs and nestled close. The elk's muzzle massaged the lawn of yellow-green.

He eased the bow soundlessly into position.

—

Kagami followed the elk. Though strenuous with his large body, he negotiated the overlapping web of branches filtering little to no sunlight to the forest floor. The elk scoured through a thick vein that deposited into an oblong clearing. Where it now loitered.

The predator was close.

Or, what Kagami had been considering, his target.

He wound his arm around the trunk and searched the area for movement or discrepancies. Off to the right, secluded in a patch.

Squinting revealed the desired details.

Short dark hair, brown skin, and the appropriate build.

A feral heat flooded Kagami's nerves.

He judged the remaining distance and factored about forty feet lie between him and the man.

With controlled movements, he closed in.

His thighs screamed in rebellion.

The glint of the arrowhead caught Kagami's gaze. His quarry drew the bow and the man's exposed profile confirmed it.

This was Aomine Daiki.

He unsheathed the kodachi, sucked a steeling breath, and threw himself downwards.

Right over Aomine.

—

Aomine steadied his aim with a steady exhale and cocked the bow.

A snap overhead echoed the loosing of the arrow.

His body folded over the spent weapon as a mighty weight crashed his body to the soil. Sharp pain shot through his sprained shoulder.

Adrenaline surged his heart and he jerked his head back, connecting with something hard.

The weight lifted marginally and he scrambled through the scrunched head of leaves. He whipped around, knife in-hand.

A blur embossed his vision from his date with gravity. Whatever it was, it was massive and charging for him.

He evaded an incoming jab for his torso, catching the glint of a blade—longer than his but short enough to be considered close-quartered. A wisp of heat fanned his shirt.

Son of a bitch.

Without assuring his luck, he reached and clutched a rough collar. He violently tugged and connected their foreheads.

The enemy staggered. As did he, but many bouts with Nebuya acclimated him to the impact.

Aomine thrust the knife. The man launched a punch, which opened to clutch his fist.

A flicker in the enemy's empty hand startled him.

He knew what was coming but didn't react fast enough.

White hot pain seared throughout his waist.

The enemy pulled him into a flexed knee.

Breath exploded from him.

A blow to the back of the neck surrendered him to the damp grassy bedding.

He heaved to grab air.

God damn it, where was Tetsu?

Large fingers gripped his hair and yanked him into a painful arch on his knees.

Sunlight parted the overcast and refracted off a ready blade.

Cocked to plunge into his heart.

The enemy muttered something equivocal and drove the tip downward.

Or he would have, had a black vine not secured the weapon.

"Aomine-kun." A shout.

He sucked air and drove his elbow into the man's groin. He crunched on the enemy's instep and his head again met a hard chin.

The enemy staggered again and released the blade.

Aomine grabbed his neck and, with the strained effort of his afflicted shoulder and now pulsing abdomen, heaved the man over his back where he met the soil with a bone-crushing thud.

His nerves fired wildly. His pulse deafened his senses as he stood at the ready, waiting for the man to move.

Tetsu slid between them, a tendril sprouting from his shadow to grip the fallen blade. A second slithered to the crumpled form, forking to bind the attacker's hands. Aomine didn't wait for the shadow to arrest him. A harsh tug rolled the man on his side, revealing a face Aomine had seen a handful of times throughout his century of life. Shaggy red hair, a triangular jaw, and distinctive split eyebrows.

"Is that how it is," he hissed.

His blessed mood transformed into guarded rage instantly.

Pain swirled through him, reigniting his hushed headache. The burn seared with every movement. And to top it off, his kill escaped. The lesser of his concerns now, all things considered.

Tetsu approached with the enemy's knife passively in his grasp. "Lord Akashi Seijuurou's brother."

Aomine growled, popping his toe on the man's arm.

"Kagami Taiga."


	6. Chapter 6

:VI:

Nigou stood at attention beside his disgruntled partner as Kuroko inspected the last of the man's gear. The haul back to the temple had been uncomfortable. Nothing had gone according to plan and Kuroko was displeased with his arbitrary choices.

He hadn't consented with Aomine to leave or to send Nigou after the elk. Where they needed to be was with him. Both would have contained Kagami long enough to allow Aomine the upper hand.

His partner had tangled with the Fire breed before. But none of this caliber.

He recalled their brief post-conflict exchange.

"_Allow me to carry him back to the temple, Aomine-kun."_ _ Kuroko knew it was disgraceful to seek absolution now that he'd screwed up._

_But he couldn't let Aomine worsen his condition by lugging the man back with what may be a third degree burn. All other damages aside. Kuroko had witnessed the attack, caught off guard by how suddenly it transpired. One moment he was monitoring the bow trained on the elk and the next it had bolted off and Aomine was crushed beneath a large body._

_What could he have done?_

_No, excuses were unacceptable. Kuroko put too much faith in Aomine's schooled composure and assured himself that he could act alone. Somehow convinced himself to allow his partner a moment of relaxation. The milestone achieved today during the board meeting, along with the success of the hunt, warranted slackened supervision._

_It was the first time he had so horrendously miscalculated._

_And he swore on his now indefinite life there would not be another._

_He raked Kagami's form folded over Aomine's shoulder as he stuck to his flank. The man was a smidge smaller than Aomine in height but was built like a brick wall. Ferocity exuded his features even through the mask of paralysis. Short red hair topped his head with darkened tips. The man was clothed in similar gear to both he and Aomine, suitable to covert operations._

_Kuroko filed that away for future inquiry._

"_Aomine-kun." He tried again._

"_Quiet," was Aomine's quick rebuttal._

_His heart clenched. _Dammit.

"_Aomi—"_

"_Just sneak us into the holding cells undetected and don't say another word."_

_He couldn't argue._

_So he nodded._

"Looks like he came after me fully-cocked." Aomine glanced to the sprawled weaponry. "More than anyone else had. I should be flattered."

Kuroko said nothing, remembering his orders to remain silent.

Entering the holding cells of the hunter's guild had proven vexing. Ingress through the lobby was simple, as nearly all the hunters were on assignment retrieving or delivering goods for the temple kitchen. Others were sure to be mingling with temple residents in the dining hall or dedicating themselves to exercise in the gymnasium. Technicians maintaining the armory made traversing to the basement level difficult. They managed to skulk through lesser lit halls, much to Kuroko's advantage, and located the holding cells. Aomine expressed gratitude for the lack of POWs.

He looked to Kagami.

The man sat on a wooden chair in his underwear with his chin to his chest. A charcoal undershirt was tousled from an inspection for withheld items. Experience disciplined Aomine to take every precaution with the enemy. The sharp lighting of overhead bulbs made it easy for Kuroko to restrain Kagami with the plenitude of shadows tattooing the smooth stone. Black belts encircled the wrists, ankles, and hips.

"Tetsu."

He flinched, the voice calm as it soothed his timid nerves. He caught Aomine's embittered grimace. Drying blood caked Aomine's fringed shirt and, even without facing him, Kuroko could see a rosy rawness to his partner's dark skin. There hadn't been enough incentive to encourage Aomine to prioritize and seek treatment. Nor did Kuroko impose.

"Be ready. I'm waking him up."

—

A violent kick roused Kagami with an undignified snort. He snapped upright, throwing his distorted gaze around the room. His jaw ached like hell. As did his foot and groin. Try as he might, he couldn't soothe the more intense of his discomforts.

He heard a vindictive chuckle and squeezed his eyes shut to clear the film over his eyes.

"Payback for the burn, asshole." The voice was deep and languid.

For a moment he entertained that such a tone could put him to sleep. "Hardly recompense for all the damage you've done."

A sudden twinge of copper hit his tongue and he cringed. Fucker split his lip.

"Can't say I ever offended you, Kagami Taiga, Lord Akashi Seijuurou's precious baby brother."

"_Half_-brother," Kagami snapped at the flagrant sarcasm.

Aomine shrugged which only embellished his temper. He gauged the restraints with a few tugs. Not rope or twine. In fact, it felt like nothing but pressure. Which meant he was being anchored by the bastard's bodyguard. Yet where was he?

His studied Aomine Daiki. Tall and lean. Swarthy-skinned and a face tightened with appraisal. Despite his size, he hadn't felt like much when Kagami took him down. Though being taken off guard factored into how easily the prick crumpled underneath him. A diligent air surrounded him. But something was amiss. A certain dullness consumed Aomine's eyes. Kagami had been told that Aomine not only headed his own outfit but also held a position as an Ambassador on the War Administrator's board. A high honor, to be sure. Not to mention the triumph of surviving nearly one hundred and twenty attempts on his life; forty-eight of which had come from the Fire Apparition charter of Shadow agents.

So why the unfulfilled look?

He didn't muse long as Aomine leaned off the table, revealing a massive dog sitting rigid. Apprehension overtook him. The stare in those vacant eyes clutched him in a vice. If there were anything more apodictic in this world, it was that Kagami _did not like_ dogs.

"You're a goddamn idiot." Not the opening line he expected.

Kagami quickly schooled his features.

"You trying to unsettle the balance?"

"Right," he scoffed, defiantly turning his face away. "Because this whole issue is the Fire's fault."

"Ask the border towns." Aomine's rebuke was swift. "I'm sure the families will have an adequate answer."

"It's not like you didn't see this coming, asshole. Let up with the bravado already." Rough pressure squeezed the restraints and he jerked his head down to his lap. A black belt wound tight around his waistline. He peered over the edge of the chair to the ebony pool where he spotted an arm leading away. It connected to the thick shadows of the table where his equipment lay. It was then that he noticed a form nearly molded to the darkness. A man, from a brief glance.

But he was given no time to examine further. Aomine stepped in the way.

"_I _didn't see the brother—"

"Half-brother."

Aomine popped his face. "How did I not see my fated meeting with the annoying kin of Akashi Seijuurou?"

Kagami sat stiff, obstinate. He searched the deep recesses of the bastard's eyes. It seemed Aomine wasn't privy to the truth.

Perfect. A workable advantage.

Not like his current predicament. But Kagami celebrated one victory at a time.

The pressure to his fetters returned and he yelped, looking around Aomine to the man at the table.

"Cut it out," he barked, in English.

Both men's faces twisted in confusion, which only delighted Kagami more. English was the Apparition political vernacular, necessary to settle international debates in comfort. A conciliatory movement to satisfy the sovereigns, all of whom refused to educate themselves in each other's language. Not all were taught. Only those to be found in political conventions. Kagami had simply found the language entertaining and offered to be his brother's translator. He silently wondered then why Aomine hadn't understood.

A sudden hand flattened across his mouth dampened his elation. Aomine's fingers squeezed and his face neared.

"Don't fuck with me." Each syllable was venomous. "What do you mean I should have expected this? And answer wisely. I'd rather not disfigure your face."

The hand slid away but remained ready to act.

He straightened himself, looked Aomine in the eye, and said, "You're a Neutral."

—

Aomine hadn't expected himself to react so violently.

His knuckles pounded Kagami's jaw as soon as the words left his mouth. It resonated like one's palm slapping stone. The man's head tore to the side and a flash of pain contorted his face. Blood spotted the floor as Kagami groaned and readjusted himself in the chair. If his hand throbbed, then he only hoped he'd transmitted some of that pain through this prick's skull.

He shook away the growing numbness and repeated, "Don't fuck with me."

But Kagami only grinned. The urge to slug him again was tempting but he refrained.

"Wow, this is actually less enjoyable than I thought it'd be." The man tipped his head to one side and spit a dollop of blood.

Aomine's patience was wearing. Pain festered in nearly every inch of him. Anger only exacerbated it.

Him, a Neutral? He wouldn't believe it.

So he reigned in his composure and tried, "And why is that funny?"

"Not so much funny as disappointing."

His mouth tightened. Kagami appraised him with a look he did not appreciate.

Then he snorted. "Are you really that naïve?"

Rationality told him not to rise to the bait and he remained silent. Either way, he wanted—no, _needed_—to hear what Kagami had to say. And the less exertion on his part, the better. Coping with the upcoming character assassination, though, would prove challenging.

"You live in the Ice Nation with your doting uncle," the man started, assuming an air of superiority that rankled Aomine. "The Dan of the Ice. An Ice Apparition. And for one hundred years of your miserable life you can't even pick a snowflake out of the sky."

The words left him too quickly. "It's a birth defect."

Kagami's brows rose with feigned interest. "So which of your parents was genetically inept?"

Aomine struck him again, evening out the other cheek for good measure.

"Well," the man strained through a painful cringe. "Seems I've got your full attention now."

Without restraint he fisted the prick's hair and cruelly arched his neck across the back of the chair. The blinding glare sealed Kagami's annoying scarlet gaze.

"I will break your goddamn neck."

"Touchy subject, then. Parents."

He shoved the Kagami's head forward and inhaled a long, deep breath. The pain intensified and Aomine realized that what had once been a fortuitous day was now squandered. If he managed a wink of sleep at all tonight, he would be genuinely surprised. Allowing Kagami a moment to shuck the petty teen rebellion, he situated himself at what he considered a reasonable distance and slumped back against the table.

After a spell of groaning through the pain he was sure rattled the man's brain, Kagami spoke again. "It never bothered you that Imayoshi lied away your case of sterilization by admission of a 'birth defect'? Did you even bother looking into it? You're a goddamn Neutral." The man shifted, seeking comfort. "The only thing in this realm we hunt more than game, are Neutrals. One hundred and twenty times you've been targeted and it never struck you as odd?"

Aomine said nothing.

"Just because you look like an Ice Apparition doesn't affiliate you among their ranks. What about the fact that you're the master hunter _and_ Imayoshi's Ambassador? You know how many pureblooded Apparitions vie their asses off to land that seat? It was handed to you. Because your pathetic uncle pitied your lonely existence and gave you something to make you appear more important than you really are."

He lurched forward but his blow slid through the flames now engulfing Kagami's head and neck.

A new level of frustration blistered within Aomine. One that sent a static charge of pain through him.

That smug condescending look through the receding yellow-orange flicker did nothing to calm him. The faint throbbing incurred from the impulsive punch went ignored.

As the last of the fire extinguished a black thread shot up Kagami's chest and coiled around his mouth. He squirmed in protest as Tetsu tightened the restraints.

The shadow stepped forward and laid a tight hand on Aomine's shoulder, prying with gentle force. He looked down to concerned eyes.

Dammit.

He hated that look.

"Aomine-kun, please take a breather. Run water over the wound, at least," Tetsu said.

He hesitated, his gaze flitting to Kagami's sour stare.

"Please." A swirl of self-loathing tamed his frayed nerves, over-stimulated from pain and anger.

"I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

Then he pivoted and left.

—

Kagami itched restlessly. The ache in his face hadn't subsided but he had to hand it to Aomine. For his ineptitude as an Apparition, the man possessed the physical strength to protect himself. Though not nearly enough, as Kuroko provided residual insurance.

It had been a good five minutes since the Neutral stalked off, body teetering between injury and consternation. He'd noticed it during his and Aomine's exchange. Those onyx eyes were riveted to him, ignoring everything else. But there was more.

Something that the shadow's intervention verified.

Aomine Daiki didn't know how to be angry.

Irate was one thing, which he'd intercepted from the first blow that graced his cheek. But the chaotic swarm of emotions that flooded the man's face as Kagami needled, prodded deep into guarded wounds, was something else entirely. And it struck him as odd.

First impressions told Kagami that Aomine was a calculated man. One who carried himself passively, disinterestedly. And their interaction within the holding cells displayed the anticipated primitive emotions that any Apparition would present. Apprehension, restraint, defiance. But as Kagami decided to knock the man off kilter, Aomine's face betrayed his body.

A flash of shock and twinge of hurt streaked his features at every reaction to Kagami's relentless offenses.

He captured the shadow's lingering gaze, the icy blue stare burning. Described accurately in the contract, the shorter man sported pale hair, skin, and eyes, and for just a brief moment Kagami chastised himself for not noticing him first.

"See something you like?" he taunted, allowing smugness to crook his mouth.

The shadow remained still.

Kagami sighed impatiently and squirmed to sit comfortably, finding the black fetters unrelenting. "Do you mind?"

"Not particularly."

"Well my ass is numb, so let up some." He doubted his complaints would merit clemency, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Why did you do that?" The man's brow pinched ever so slightly in disappointment and Kagami almost accepted the scolding with silence.

"He's a Neutral. I'm just breaking the news to him before I kill him." He looked down his nose to the shadow's sullen face. "You should thank me for it."

A faint touch brushed his ear and he jerked his head away. A black tendril whipped expectantly, poised to assault again. He shot a glare to the man.

"It's a birth defect." The hint of banality in his tone genuinely surprised Kagami and, despite the awaiting tendril, he sat straight.

Interesting.

For all his posturing, the shadow didn't seem to believe the ridiculous lie either. Kagami carefully weighed his options of harassing the man before speaking up, "Is it really?"

The man's jaw tightened and he broke eye contact as he slid to sit on the edge of the table. The dog stood and Kagami tensed until it seated itself at the man's feet. He watched as unreadable eyes seemed to search for a profound answer, brows knitting tight.

The silence was agonizing and Kagami couldn't waste time loitering until Aomine came back to disassemble his face.

So he decided to ask, "How are you even in his employ?" The shadow tilted his head, trapping his gaze but he didn't allow time to respond. "The Ice don't partner with the Shadow. Never have unless under a state of extreme duress. But that was before they screwed themselves out of the partnership."

Icy pools scoured the equipment laid meticulously on the table top. Agitation bowed Kagami's mouth. He couldn't be certain, but he entertained that the shadow was playing coy just to piss him off.

Then he caught the lingering stare on the _kodachi_ and smirked.

"You tried to kill him."

Unexpectedly the shorter man whipped his head to face Kagami, eyes touched with guarded surprise. Which evolved into irritation just as quickly.

"So that's how it is." He couldn't help but chuckle, craning his head back satisfied. "You failed and got stuck being his babysitter."

Another airy touch tickled his neck and he squirmed. His belly and back were similarly assaulted. A dozen tube-like protrusions fanned his skin from the fetters, abusing him with aggravatingly breathy touches. The sensation was unwelcome and he writhed, cursing the multiple aggressors.

"What I did in the past is irrelevant. The real question is," the shadow slid off the table, the tendrils' attack continuing undaunted. The man reached for Kagami's folded pants and fussed through one pocket at a time. A content smile graced thin lips when the contract was brought into view. "Why does the crown prince of the Fire Apparitions possess contracts to terminate Neutrals? Especially level-one threats."

Kagami tousled with the black vines and clamped his teeth down on one wiggling beside his nose. Charcoal laced his tongue and he spat dejectedly. First and last time he would ever attempt that mistake. "What I do is my business," he said, resisting the urge to snap at a second tendril flicking at his neck.

"You never answered my question."

Kagami's temper flared and a mane of fire exploded from his skin, sizzling the offending vines to ash. To his dismay, the fetters remained intact. "Keep harassing me with these creepy shadows and I'll say even less."

Not that he was promising to disclose anything at all. But the man lessened up and finally Kagami adjusted, feeling an unsatisfying tingle invade his sore ass.

"Why did you insult Aomine-kun?" The shadow asked again, discarding the pants to the table in a heap. The paper remained tucked in a clenched hand.

Resignation threatened to claim Kagami's face but he inhaled deep and gestured to the sheet with a jerk of his head.

Wordlessly the man thumbed the manhandled sheet open. Eyes skimmed past the information and threaded along what Kagami knew were the list of signed names. The shadow turned the paper over, gaze streaming additional participants.

Then his face wrinkled with what appeared to be disgust but closer inspection suggested something else Kagami couldn't put his finger on.

"Five of these names are circled."

"That's right." Pride swelled deep within Kagami's chest, churning with the malice that those names evoked. "A-grade assassins from the Fire charter. All killed by Aomine."

The man peeked briefly over the top of the sheet and read aloud. "Hanamiya Makoto. Haizaki Shougo. Moriyama Yoshitaka. Mitobe Rinnosuke." Hesitation. "Kuroko Tetsuya. You expect to avenge all five of these men? You're a prince." The page was creased and tucked into the man's folded arms. "Stick to politics and leave this alone. For your own benefit."

What Kagami heard was an insult and he bristled. Bulbs of fire dotted his exposed skin.

"He's a serial killer. A nobody who somehow managed to kill five highly trained Shadow Apparitions with no Apparition power whatsoever. You've been under his boot for too long if you think the state of the world now is my fault."

"Killing Aomine-kun will tip the balance." An unprecedented volume assumed the man's voice. "And he taking your life will achieve no better a result."

Despite himself, Kagami sat stunned and the flares extinguished.

"So, I'm asking you one final time." The man slid his eyes closed and shouldered an unsteady breath. Sincere blue bored into him. "Please, placate Aomine-kun and never return here again."


	7. Chapter 7

:VII:

The library was the last place Aomine imagined himself being. Decades of tutoring and scholarship had spoiled his appreciation for archiving the vast information withheld in the second temple's grand repository. The tiny collection he maintained in his own chamber was essential to his station as Ambassador. Most tomes were of language, geography, war history, and economics, interspersed among his treasured erotica. Imayoshi decided that seizing the offensive material had become too tedious and allowed Aomine license to come into as much of it as he wanted so long as he complied with his obligations.

He had thought to inspect the restricted section of the library's west wing for new works. Though he weathered a few thousand in the temple's massive reserve, he always welcomed novel reading material. But pleasure reading wasn't what he'd wanted now and a distraction was second to that.

He was on a mission.

_You're a god damn Neutral._ Kagami's impudent declaration rung through his mind with a clangorous knell.

It was rare for him to invite rumor and speculation. But something about this was foul and very much real. And he needed to be certain before he plunged into another session with the stubborn crown prince.

Before the flicker of dainty candlelight Aomine sat at a long mahogany table. Variously-sized books of questionable age sat in a disgraceful pile. Nothing of interest was found in the twenty-six books he pulled from the shelves. Upon entering the quiet repository, Aomine inquired the help of the archivist to locate books relevant to Apparition genetics.

He wasn't here to pore through countless accounts of Neutrals.

He needed to verify the possibility of a birth defect robbing an Apparition of power.

After the first three books he'd lost track of time. Periodically the archivist would ease to his side and check on his progress.

The last of the bunch was splayed open before his hunched frame, dully throbbing head held aloft by his palm. He couldn't see Imayoshi about a remedy just yet. Too many questions would be asked concerning his still tattered clothes and the melon-sized burn scoring his skin.

Page after page detailed elementary information about heredity, cumulative accounts shared by half the books he'd already sifted through. Though he couldn't have been bothered to appreciate the science behind life, he was grateful that there were Apparitions dedicated enough to pen down the intrinsic inner workings of their kind. He paused on a diagram tattooing nearly an entire sheet. A footnote below read "Standard Mating."

He unintentionally sat at attention as his eyes traced the hand-drawn lines. Colored circles were connected using "T" lines, indicating paternity and the passage of genes. Endowment of Apparition power. Of identity.

Kagami's words resurfaced and Aomine shoved them down again.

The standard mating of Superior Apparitions: the Fire, Lightning, and Shadow, resulted in an almost fifty-fifty chance that the offspring would follow their mother or father. Exclusion was made for a Shadow-Lightning hybrid, wherein the genetically dominant was the latter and the child would be as such. Hybrids, the text noted, could breed with either of its parents' Apparition types and produce a pureblooded offspring, restarting the cycle of genetic purity. The Inferior Apparitions: Ice, Wind, and Earth, fared differently. But Aomine only attended to the critical information offered. The Ice was superior or equally dominant to its Inferior comrades. Not something he'd have to think hard about but it made sense.

More pages went ignored as he flipped further, stopping at another diagram, a complicated web of relationships. A mix-and-match nightmare of purebloods of all six races. Just looking at it made his eyes cross. His fingers shooed the image away and his eyes fell to an attractive pair of words at the top of the following page.

"Special Mating."

The passage below captured his full attention.

_Heredity of the Apparition world has been a paradox of discrepancies for centuries. Physiology an even greater mystery, its operation accepted but not fully explored. The most thoughtfully compromising of which is the concept of Neutrality among the Apparition species. Documentation and interview with several subjects revealed to the scientific community that Neutrals possess no affinities to any of the six races. Phenotypes represent that of a handful of Shadow Apparitions, observation and records explicate. Speculation suggests that Neutrals ingest a mass of incompatible genetics that are discarded in the embryonic stages of development. Earliest documentation of Neutrals shows that despite their ineptitude, they live full lives, as long as two hundred and eighty years to three hundred and fifteen years, in a rare case. The genetic anomaly has only recently been investigated. Scientific grants were issued to verify the mystery of Neutral creation and after an extensive experiment, the following has been discovered._

Another relationship web was drawn below. The grandparents' bubbles were tinged red and yellow respectively—Fire and Lightning. A half-and-half colored offspring was mated to an Ice Apparition spouse, colored in a dash of blue. The outcome quirked Aomine's brow skeptically as he retraced the lineage, hoping to make sense of the information. Three children were born from the hybrid and pureblood parents. One took after the grandfather as Fire, the second after the pureblood parent as Ice. But the third was shaded solid black.

His brows pinched and he quickly fanned back a few pages. None had been missing and the flow of information was uninterrupted.

"How does this make sense?" he questioned, returning to the diagram.

He stared, transfixed on the black circle, the third child.

Needy for answers, he continued reading.

_Displayed above is the lineage of a documented family. The grandfather, pictured as red, and the grandmother, pictured as yellow, were purebloods, who produced a hybrid son of Fire and Lightning. Reports detailed that despite his half-blood nature, the son's genetic prowess was affiliated with that of the Fire. Genealogists confirmed that the Lightning genetics remained dormant, to be passed on to future offspring. Mating with an Ice woman complicated the genetic process of heredity. As aforementioned, Fire and Lightning are dominant genes, which the son possesses. Ice is recessive in comparison. Genealogists theorize that during fertilization and embryonic growth, dominant genes contend for succession. This, scientists agree, is what is responsible for the creation of Neutrals._

Aomine intended to proceed, thoroughly captivated. But the next sheet went on about phenotypes—physical appearances. He thumbed back and forth through the section of a dozen or so pages to find that someone had removed the next bit he'd wanted to see. Anger bubbled in him and he slammed the cover shut. Massaging his temples calmed him, albeit slightly. Maybe he put too much faith in his luck at the board meeting today. Maybe he celebrated too early.

Whatever the case, he was left with more questions than answers and a resistant acceptance that Kagami may actually be telling the truth.

But he wouldn't. Not yet.

He found a large ornate clock towering above the reception desk that read 4:50 PM. Later than he intended to be away. Yet he didn't feel sorry. Kagami could stand to suffer Tetsu's nettling for a while.

Dissatisfied, he shoved his chair out and summoned the archivist. The woman appeared at his side, barely reaching his chest and started collecting the books. He muttered his appreciation and walked out the door.

A deplorable feeling squeezed his stomach as he crossed the planks of the pentagonal platform. He shielded his wound from passersby when appropriate. The sun shone bleakly through the patchy overcast, the chance of rain seemingly scared away. Even if he hadn't wanted to invite the possibility, if he _was_ a Neutral, it would explain a lot of things.

Chiefly, his ineptitude.

Maybe even his lethargy and growing disinterest in almost everything the temple offered him.

One third of the way through his life and he felt like he hadn't lived with purpose. But it wasn't like he hadn't envisioned living a normal life and he hadn't shied away from trying. If he really was what Kagami claimed, then surely _it_ was responsible for his empty existence. Not him. Not when he'd tried hard to live just as normally as any other Apparition within the temple.

He'd endorsed relationships, both platonic and romantic with multiple partners. Satsuki was the closest he'd found to attaining the true happiness of family and companionship in a lover. But he couldn't deliver there, either.

All because of the very real possibility that he was wasted genetics.

Electric pain teased his agitated burn and stimulated his headache.

No.

Kagami Taiga wasn't going to win that easily. That smug prick.

A new feeling invigorated him and he smirked. His back straightened and he squared his shoulders as he strutted across the pavilion toward the hunter's guild.

—

Aomine wasn't exactly surprised by the sight that unfolded before him as he reentered the holding cells.

With whatever liberty he had, Kagami was leaning in vain to distance himself from Nigou who sat flush against the chair, massive head hovering close to the prince's face. He'd flinched as one of Tetsu's shadows brushed his face, ribs, or other areas of exposed skin to nudge him within range of the dog's mouth. Entering silently allowed him this spectacle and he filed the experience away for future reference.

Having seen enough, he kicked the bulky wooden door shut behind him.

Three sets of eyes landed on him and he curtly strode under the lights without muttering a word. They followed as he approached and pulled the dog away by the harness. A snap of his fingers and jab of his thumb sent the malamute to the door. Silence strained as it skillfully tugged the iron-loop handle and wormed through the crack.

"Aomine-kun."

He said nothing as he observed the collection of gear on the table.

Tetsu tried again but he signaled for quiet.

"Didn't expect you to pout," Kagami snorted, the chair groaning as he resituated himself. "At least be flattered you got those five Shadow assassins on your wall so I can have some satisfaction when I kill you."

Aomine clutched the _kodachi_ and turned, admiring the marks on the blade. He motioned with it and locked eyes with Kagami's defiant red stare. "Since you're so eager to carve another point on this portable scoreboard of yours," he lobbed the weapon onto Kagami's lap.

Both Kagami and Tetsu stared incredulously as he yanked at the collar of his shirt. Two buttons clattered to the stone and he wrenched the garment over his head.

"You're gonna have to fight me for it," he said, letting the shirt drop.

"Are you fucking crazy?"

"Aomine-kun, don't." The voices mingled together but Aomine ignored them altogether as he divested himself to reveal his bare torso.

The expanse was riddled with scarring, most insignificant, but plenty to prove his tacit point. Which Kagami seemed to ingest immediately.

Tetsu stepped between him and the man, hand pushed firm on his ribs. "Don't do this, Aomine-kun, you're already hurt."

"Leave, Tetsu. He's nothing I can't handle."

Concern flooded the shadow's face and Aomine locked eyes with him for only a moment.

Wood spanked the floor and an incoming heat alerted him.

In a swift movement, he swung Tetsu behind him and captured Kagami's incoming fist, the blade clenched within radiating yellow-blue flames. Red intensity seared him and he grinned. Just the reaction he'd been hoping for.

He eased himself and Tetsu from the table, keeping a tight hold on Kagami's armed hand.

"Leave," he ordered again, nudging the shadow toward the door.

A flicker of the prince's gaze allowed Aomine to slip his thumb into Kagami's grasp and bow the man's digit into submission. To allot distance to discharge Tetsu and gain control of the situation, he thrust his palm into Kagami's chest as he dislodged the weapon. Assuredly the man stumbled and Aomine gave a final push to his partner.

He didn't ask again and Tetsu slid out of sight through the door.

Kagami glared vehemently, rubbing his assaulted chest. Aomine halted his advance with a condescending click of his tongue.

"There are rules to this, Your Highness." He was gratified to see the insult daunt the man and continued. "You want to kill me, I want to kill you. Thing is, that can't happen. At least not yet." His posture remained poised, at the ready to defend or strike, as they circled the room. Kagami's eyes never left his, a predatory glint following his every move. "Something you should have thought of before you gallivanted the borderline and tried to murder me."

Kagami snarled, "Get to the goddamn point."

He held the weapon aloft. "The blade decides it." The crinkle of the man's brow told him he wasn't entirely convinced but still listening. "You come at me with whatever you got. If I disarm you, I win and you disappear to try again another day. If you subdue me, you win and my life's yours to take once this inevitable war starts."

"You really think yourself that skilled?"

"I don't think," Aomine baited, tossing the blade. "I know."


	8. Chapter 8

:VIII:

Seconds that ticked by clutched Kuroko's heart in an icy grip. He stood stiff just outside the passage to the holding cells. Evening was dawning and the fluorescents consumed the hallway. The hunters would be returning soon to shed their gear and linger about. Something he could not invite.

Aomine had made it clear that he did not want Kuroko to intervene with his and Kagami's exchange. But it was more than that. Rarely did his partner ever expose himself so vulnerably.

Had the circumstances been different, Kuroko would think him intoxicated.

But Aomine had a point to prove, one to assuage his wounded honor. Kuroko could empathize.

Yet to engage Kagami now while at a disadvantage? The damn fool.

He strained his ears to pick up a single sound from beyond the damply lit passageway. Beyond the thick wooden door. The whispering hum of the fluorescents was all that surrounded him and as he stood, duty bound, he wondered.

Should he turn back now and disobey Aomine? Burst through the door and withhold Kagami's furious advance to allow his partner a chance to strike the prince down?

The thought was tempting. Censure from the Ice people, trifling. The wrath of Lord Akashi Seijuurou, inconsequential.

Despite the reputation Aomine accrued beyond temple walls and across the vast forest wilderness connecting the world of Fire and Ice, he was a fragile, gentle soul. Hardly ever raised his tone or hand in violence, indulged the company of those considered family, and never coveted that which he knew he could not obtain. Aomine, like any man, like any Apparition, was just another blade of grass on this vast earth, coerced with the rhythm of time and nature.

Contrary to Kagami's preconceptions, Aomine did not deserve to die. Especially for a lie. At one time in his life, shortly before he'd been sworn into servicing the man, following a difficult interrogation and the subsequent bondage, Kuroko believed it, too. Believed the stigma against Neutrals and all the emptiness they promised. But even now, even if Aomine truly was among the Neutrals, Kuroko could not be seduced into taking his life. The clemency, the patience, and the loyalty Aomine had shown him the last thirty-four years told Kuroko that there were few nefarious things the man could commit to earn Kuroko's disdain. His hatred. His desire to kill.

He tipped his gaze over his shoulder into the dark abyss where a weak ray of light shone through a rectangular glass slit at the top of the door.

And hoped his partner had made the right call.

—

Kagami's legs screamed as he fell to his knee yet again. For the fifth consecutive time, Aomine'd slid around his blade with the grace of a feline and threw him off balance with a curt palm thrust. And it pissed him off. No two movements had been the same since they'd begun.

The man bounced on his heels, swiping a leaking trail of sweat from his brow. Tanned skin gleamed from exertion and a fresh blood smeared the burn wound he'd inflicted on Aomine in the forest hours just a few hours ago. Kagami considered it, and many times he came close, but he withdrew.

Neutral or not, he had more than enough skill to compensate. He didn't need a handicap.

A taut smirk tugged Aomine's mouth, igniting with it fury and tufts of yellow-orange flame upon Kagami's shoulders and fists. He stood and swapped the blade to his dominant hand.

"You're starting to bore me, at least put up a fight," the man taunted.

Uncharacteristically, he snubbed the insult. "Fuck you."

In an instant the smirk eroded and Aomine closed the distance with a movement so fast that Kagami regretted blinking. Pressure surged through his abdomen in a crushing wave as the air rattled up his throat. Gripping tight on the hilt, he speared the _kodachi_ for Aomine's abdomen. Similar speed clutched his arm in a savage grip and with another hand flat on Kagami's ribs, Aomine hurled him. The floor zoomed skyward and blinding light reeled into his vision as his back met stone. Aomine stomped his boot into his armpit and Kagami's arm was wrenched into an immobilizing arch. He felt the blade slicking from his clammy grip.

No, he thought. He wasn't done yet.

He clutched the weapon and curled his unarmed hand around the man's calf. A mighty pull heaved his legs skyward and his foot caught the prick's jaw with a deep smack. Inertia rolled him backward as Aomine stumbled from the impact. With practiced ease, Kagami's feet found stone and he reared all one hundred and ninety pounds of himself into Aomine and rock. The resounding thud and guttural cry satisfied him.

Large, calloused hands planted on his shoulders. Electricity priming Kagami's amply-active nerves, he spun to contend with Aomine. But he hadn't counted on the man's resilience. Despite his date with the rock wall, Aomine fluidly slid out of reach. A thick arm ghosted his belly and then Aomine's presence flushed against his back. Both the man's arms locked around his waist and Kagami was wrenched backwards, bent back over Aomine where his shoulders and neck kissed the floor with a wet slap. The scene blurred in a cacophony of color and streaks of light as he ignored the distortion and recovered.

A dark blur dashed forward and again his wrist was snatched. An open palm cupped his throat and a swift swipe of Aomine's foot landed Kagami on his ass. The _kodachi_ was whisked from his fist and weight nearly equal to his fell firm on his belly. Knees pinned down his rebelling arms.

Laborious breathing filled the room as Kagami waited for it. The sneering declaration of victory. The haughty berating of his skills. The resignation of utter failure. Shame sealed his eyes but a pinprick poke to his neck sparked them open again.

The sight before him stirred an unfamiliar feeling in his gut. Aomine's face held an unwelcome gratitude that bristled him. It wasn't cocky or arrogant. The bastard actually looked sated.

Then a laugh, soft and low. "You lose."

He glared into the midnight pools, seeing a buoyant light among their depths. The sharpened edge of the blade lifted and Aomine rolled to his feet. When offered a hand, Kagami nearly spat in the man's direction but merely whacked the gesture down. Without reserve, Aomine ignored his terse rejection and pulled Kagami up by the arm. He wrenched it away as the bodyguard, Tetsu, was summoned again.

The little man skated in with urgency and his icy stare penetrated Aomine for answers the taller man didn't reveal.

"See that he's returned to the border and that he crosses it," Aomine ordered, scooping up his shirt.

Tetsu nodded in agreement and reached for his clothes, but Kagami took a bold step forward and held out his hand. "Sword, asshole."

Unexpectedly, Aomine stopped and threw the most annoying grin his way. "Letting you live was the deal. Come back for your sword some other time when you're actually ready to beat me."

And then he left.

—

Kagami absentmindedly swirled his utensils through a murky pool of broth, noodles, and a menagerie of earthy vegetables. His appetite left him hours ago, and even if he allowed his voracious hunger to seize him, his jaw hurt too much to invite even something as effortless as soup. A series of other ornate dishes laid spread about the short table between him and his brother that looked just as appetizing as they smelled. But he couldn't touch them. He'd only had an hour-and-change by the time he found castle soil again and spent it purifying the stench of loss. A knot rose at the base of his head and his back was tight with sustained abuse.

He'd clearly miscalculated. That much he now knew.

He hated that Akashi was always right.

"Have you seen to the medical staff?" The voice was liquid smooth and hardly disturbed the ambiance of an age-old record player his brother adored playing a whiny tune in the corner. Violins, Akashi had repeatedly told him. Really, they were more like air raid sirens who were facing their last moments of life.

Almost as if to feign interest Kagami plucked a batch of noodles from the bowl and touched them to his mouth only to unceremoniously release them to swim in the now lukewarm broth. He resigned his chopsticks to the table and folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. If Akashi was going to harangue him, he was going to get comfortable first.

"Ease your temper, Taiga," Akashi said, blowing on a spoonful of decorated rice before ingesting it with the most sickeningly polite table manners Kagami'd ever witnessed. "He could have very well killed you."

"Nice to know even you doubt me."

"I never said I did. I just realize the lengths to which Aomine will go to ensure victory." The tone, though calm, was tight and Akashi locked his heterochromatic gaze on him. "Aomine is a prey animal. Adapted through experience to outwit predators. What did you expect was going to happen?"

Kagami didn't like the knowing edge to his brother's voice and without a proper pardon, he jerked out of his chair. He nearly made it to the door before Akashi's voice froze him.

"The summit with the Kaizer and Dan will be in two days. Aomine Daiki will be present, as Imayoshi's Ambassador." The hidden context was clear even before his brother finished. "You are not to engage Aomine again until deliberations are over and we return to the castle. Am I clear?"

Without turning, Kagami muttered his assent and fled the room.

The night sky, daubed with patches of broken overcast, held little of Kagami's appreciation tonight. Stargazing was a hobby on clear nights after he'd spent rigorous hours before the forge repairing tools for the village folk or mending damaged masonry. Looking up at the sky now, as he followed a rock pathway from the castle's east wall, only brought him back to the moment he looked up at Aomine from his back on the gritty floor of the holding cells. Passive victory had swirled about the man's face, muscles resigned from the exercise. But the eyes. A jubilant fire resided in those obscure depths. The same feeling that squeezed Kagami's gut when Aomine'd assumed victory.

And he hated that.

The compatibility that wrestling for domination brought out between them.

The thought provoked the flames wrapping his raised hand into a wild frenzy, the conflagration oozing down his forearm and threatening to consume the entire appendage.

Damn Aomine Daiki.

"Shouldn't the fire god keep his fire in check?"

Kagami tipped his head down to find a figure bathed in a violent orange glow. The man was smaller than he by six inches with raven hair and calm black eyes that were revered for their perspicacity and clairvoyance. Known as the spymaster of the Fire Apparition charter, Izuki Shun possessed an amicability that flattered both colleagues and disciples alike. His one vice was his horrible sense of humor. Puns, and a penchant for heedlessly distributing them. Many had been uttered in Kagami's company and had Izuki not been acclimated to his temper would have had permanent swollen bruise around his eye. Annoying idiosyncrasies aside, he respected the spymaster who'd lived to see the Americas seize independence from overseas leadership and the world wage international war not once but twice. Kagami'd heard that the man stood amongst the crowd as the wall partitioning Berlin was toppled. There was no doubt that Izuki was a credible handler and a trustworthy bodyguard.

He withheld a growl as he tightened his fist, manipulating the flames to a taut flicker in his supine palm. "Not in the mood for you right now."

He wove around the shorter man and pressed on toward a hamlet dotted with torch lights and blunt chimney stacks. Izuki sauntered in tow, clearly amused with himself. Kagami daresay the spymaster was skipping but he paid no mind.

"The irony of your name never ceases to amaze me."

"It's almost like my father named me with you in mind."

Izuki deflected his sarcasm. "A mindful name for a –"

The flames licking Kagami's flesh exploded in ire as he cast a glare on the spymaster. "Seriously, Izuki-senpai, shut up."

He attended to the pathway, increasing his stride with haste.

"You mean, Sen_pai_ shut your pie hole."

He twisted, the fire launching linearly from his fist. Izuki sidestepped the projectile and covered his mouth to withhold a juvenile snicker as he eased up to Kagami. He shrugged off the incoming consolation but the man clapped a firm hand on his quaking shoulders.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop jerking your chain." The glint in those eyes wasn't too reassuring but he dismissed his cynicism as the man ruffled through his jacket. A taupe-colored folder came to light in the dull moonshine and he plucked it from the spymaster. Izuki followed as he strode on, entering the perimeter of the village.

Lingering passersby gave him welcoming bobs of greeting and he mustered the charity to return the motions as he found a gray brick dwelling through the labyrinth of cobbles. Simple wrought-iron bars guarded two circular windows facing the road and a banner adorned with a hammer and chisel ghosted the scant breeze. Two chimneys jutted from the mansard roof, one significantly thinner and shorter than the other.

Kagami pushed open the timber door and they entered a simple room. A fire pit and suspended cauldron lie in the center where a ring of stones guarded the surrounding unpolished wood floors. A dresser, whereupon lie few trinkets and photos sat beside an oak table strewn with papers, writing instruments, books, and a couple of candles. Dried meat and bundled herbs hung above an iron stove. Beyond partially drawn curtains, tucked in an alcove, was a modest bed, barely large enough for two people. An archway yawned to blackness on the back wall. Though he possessed a room within the castle walls, this was Kagami's home. Modest living apart from the stuffy atmosphere of aristocratic life was what he long coveted and finally earned upon completing his required courses with an appointed tutor.

He set the folder on the table and loosened the laces of his boots. The fire pit ignited in a tender blaze with a flick of his wrist as he began probing the folder's contents.

"So," Izuki started and Kagami heard the slipping of the man's smooth-soled shoes across the floorboards. "You're pissed."

"You had no right to tell Akashi about the contract." The residual indignation of his humiliating loss was ebbed as his eyes scanned the first sheet. A dossier he requested about Aomine prior to his excursion. Impulsive of him to leave before receiving the documents, he knew, and he was kicking himself for it now. A quick sifting through the half dozen pages satisfied him and proved once again how thorough Izuki had always been.

"You're his baby brother. He's been lenient with the hunts only because I'm open about the targets before assigning you." A fatherly concern swelled in the older man's voice that smothered Kagami in an unappreciative embrace. "Besides, I didn't tell him _who_ you were hunting this time. He discovered that all on his own."

This surprised him and he turned a glance over his shoulder, scrutinizing the informed look on the spymaster's face. "How did you…"

"He told me he took the contract from you. Gave me quite a lecture, given that he's still miffed about losing Mitobe and Kuroko." Pain tightened his face as the last word left his mouth.

Kagami only attended to the expression for a moment before it hit him. The contract paper. His hands frantically patted down pockets and pouches only to yield nothing. He searched his memory for any indication of where he may have dropped it on his progression across the border.

Izuki snickered and, for a moment, redirected his focus. "You actually lost it?"

"It's around here somewhere," Kagami said, resisting the temptation to turn out his pockets. "Don't you have someone's ass to kiss? Go away. I'm tired."

The spymaster shook his head with mock disappointment and turned for the door. A brief glance to the open dossier reminded him.

"Izuki." He quickly remembered to add the respected honorific, as was his way.

The man paused in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Can a birth defect rob an Apparition of power while still allowing a full life?"

Serenity evaporated from relaxed features and the black eyes staring back at him conveyed a punishing look that strummed Kagami's spine with a cold chill. "No."

—

"Son of a bitch, ease up. You're not tenderizing meat."

"Says the man who can't even rotate his shoulder without wailing like a wounded dog." Satsuki ground her dainty yet powerful fingers into the tense muscle of Aomine's shoulders, eliciting another strained hiss.

She sat behind him on the mattress. Following his victory against Kagami, he changed clothes and encountered her in the dining hall. While Tetsu was preoccupied escorting the unruly Fire prince across enemy lines, the two shared a meal together where Aomine tried, in vain, to get through dinner without submitting to one of his many afflictions. As they walked the expanse of the pavilion, he received a backhand to his stomach for an off-handed comment he made as she compared her culinary prowess to the kitchen staff's. The resounding yelp had been not only embarrassing but admitting and Satsuki was hurt by Aomine's suppression. After pulling him into the nearest washroom and hiking up his shirt did she see the burn. A slap, this time to the head, and a brief scolding later and he'd found himself divested and shoved to the plush comfort of his bed. Her aggression had always been attractive, the way her cheeks puffed out and blossomed in a flustered pink hue. But not when she proceeded to manhandle him, driving those skinny elbows into his back and compressing caustic antiseptic to an already raw wound.

After twenty minutes of tending the burn that he adamantly evaded answering to, Tetsu returned, fingered a book from the bookcase, and plopped on the lounge chair.

Where he now lay. The book, a romance novel from what Aomine gleaned from the spine, tented over his sleeping face.

Uncharacteristic of the shadow to fall asleep so haphazardly, his lithe body splayed over the plush cushion.

Aomine told himself to bear with her ministrations. He relaxed and brushed his fingers through a thick coat of black and white. Nigou sat between his folded legs. The dog's massive head craned at the affection and it lapped Aomine's face. He grappled its thick muzzle and placed a kiss between icy blue eyes. A giddy snort elicited and Nigou buried his nose into the crook of his neck, sliding into his lap as if he could actually fit. Though Kuroko may have trained the dog, Aomine dished out most the rough-housing and affection.

Satsuki pinched his sore neck and he squeaked, glaring over his shoulder. "Stop making such a racket, you'll wake Tetsu-kun."

Hardly, he thought as he scanned his partner.

Tetsu slept like the dead, still and devoted.

"And will you ever tell me how you got this burn?"

"Training accident?" Sastuki groaned, so he fished for another excuse. "I was juggling fire." Another painful pinch. "Nebuya decided to become an arsonist." She slapped his uninjured shoulder and shuffled to his side.

Nigou fled the undulating surface and padded to Kuroko where the malamute snuggled beneath the shadow's draped arm.

"Dammit, Dai-chan, can't you just tell me?" Her unguarded concern derailed him and it was all he could do to maintain eye contact. "Daiki."

The exhausted exhalation stunned him. A single word capable of picking the locks to every barrier he erected to keep her out. Keep her unaware and placated. To keep him protected from unwarranted worry and pity for his shortcomings and failures. He knew it wasn't fair to keep secrets. Not after their history together. Through their childhood, through their marriage, through their divorce, they had never kept each other in the dark. But this was something he couldn't simply explain away. How was he to tell her that he'd nearly been killed by the crown prince of the Fire Apparitions? That the same man was the one who inflicted the wretched wound shortly before pinning Aomine into submission?

There was no way to tell her. And he didn't.

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, ignoring the frustrated glint of moisture as he slid from the bed and grabbed his shirt from the floor. He whistled for Nigou as he popped the door opened and the two entered the hall.

He knew it wasn't fair.

But neither was Kagami Taiga crushing his world in his igneous grasp.

—

Kuroko roused to darkness, the room lit only by the candles flickering on Aomine's nightstand and desk. Outside the clouds had stitched together, veiling the mountains with a murky cool gradient. He couldn't be certain how long he'd slept, as Aomine hadn't a clock in his chambers. A quick peek over the spine of his book revealed that both his partner and Momoi were gone.

His brain sloshed with the stress of fatigue as he sat up, setting the book on the window sill. He cupped his face as a torrent of liability crashed over him.

If only he hadn't miscalculated the presence of an elk. If only he'd pushed harder to convince Imayoshi to detain Aomine.

If only he would have taken responsibility and remained at Aomine's side. Where he belonged, indefinitely.

The Dan would learn of the attack somehow, and the burn. And the man wouldn't think twice to roast Kuroko again. He dug his fingers into his eye sockets and rubbed hard.

Pleasing the Dan was never his prerogative, but it made dealing with the man easier. No action—no matter how meticulously performed—ever escaped Imayoshi's scrutiny. It had been many years since Kuroko revisited the memory, now revived by the contract he'd lifted from Kagami, but he'd missed Izuki's leadership. Horrible sense of humor aside, the spymaster was an excellent instructor and handler. One who would sooner shoulder the blame of an entire operation on himself than censure his disciples. Always believing that it was the master who was responsible for the student's failures. Something Imayoshi did not believe.

He regarded the door as the knob jostled and he straightened as a pink head poked inside. The silver of a food tray glinted from the incandescent lights of the hallway.

Momoi's face softened and she slid inside. "Figured you'd be hungry after your nap."

He squelched his negativity and allowed a smile to tease his mouth. "I was just resting my eyes."

She chuckled and he scooted to make room for her on the lounge chair. The tray was placed in the vacant spot instead and he passed her a confused stare. He watched as she struggled to settle on an emotion and a pit hollowed in his stomach.

"What happened, Tetsu-kun?" Her voice was faint and lost, and he detected through the broken syllables that she'd been crying.

"I'm sorry, Momoi-san."

His heart turned cold when she exhaled a shaky, defeated sigh. He didn't want to be an accomplice to Aomine's tirade of evading the truth. He was even less enthusiastic to invite his partner's contempt. Against his morality, he steeled himself and found watery magenta pools searching him desperately for answers. Ones he could not provide.

Momoi lowered to her knees in front of him and grabbed his hand, squeezing beseechingly. "Please, Tetsu-kun. Who gave Aomine-kun get that burn?"

Kuroko's brain computed at supersonic speed for a probable excuse. Something to thwart her until he could negotiate the situation better. Inevitably, he realized, he would tell her. Even if Aomine thought less of him for it. Withholding his emotions was painful already but to feign veracity, he reasoned, would hurt much less. Especially if it meant sparing Momoi's feelings.

For now.

He placed his hand over hers and resolution, spurred by the gleam of her still-present wedding band through his fingers, fortified him to apologize once more in an unprecedented manner. "I'm sorry, Satsuki-san." Rejection clenched her eyes shut. "But it's classified. I cannot tell you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews. ; u ; I had so may reservations about ever posting such a serious story (because who likes serious? serious isn't fun) and I appreciate the support. It inspires me to sit down and continue drilling out the remaining chapters.**

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:IX:

The trickling of the fountain ebbed Imayoshi's disjointed thoughts in steady waves. Cool spray from overhead misting faucets sprinkled his slickened shoulders and back. Each therapeutic breath frosted the sheen of moisture in an icy sheet that grew thicker with concentration as he idled on the cool marble floors of the Water Room. Originating in the middle BCE era, the Ice Apparitions utilized segregated lakes, streams, and grottoes to practice meditation and achieve tranquility. The incursion beset by the Lightning and Fire removed the Ice from what the people once considered sanctuaries of ataraxia. The current state of the world discouraged them from seeking new Meccas to reconnect with the earth. The Water Room was constructed after the turn of the seventeenth century and, though completely artificial, it served its purpose for those eager enough.

Sparse lighting ignited the cavernous space, embellished with limestone walls hewn from the mountains and natural spring water siphoned from the nearby lakes, from candle perches. Electricity could not intervene.

The drip-drop of condensed water from stalactites paced Imayoshi's breathing.

Sleep had come sparingly to him last night and he decided to greet the morning early. It was rare for him to rise before the sun, and he had earned a chaste scolding from the nurses, who had been startled by his presence. Delighting in fruit he handpicked from the orchard, he then headed straight for the Water Room. Most visits were purely recreational.

But today he sought reflection.

He'd been in relatively good spirits, fielding the outrage of the border discrepancies with ease, and keeping all his ducks in a row. Allowing Aomine to work with Nebuya to maximize perimeter control eased the tension. Susa had been delivering, as expected.

Then Kuroko happened.

Locating elks on the mountain was no cause for alarm. They were a common sighting, as were deer, among other animals. But the shadow pressed a profound point. Aomine's familiar, Nigou, never mistook prey for enemy. He'd considered the possibility that Akashi sent one of his many assassins to squash his brewing revolution, using a royal's elk to deceive them. Yet he was quick to remind himself that the Fire charter's spymaster would never allow it. Convenience and efficiency was something the eagle-eyed whelp had in abundance but his weak emotions was what cost him more than just Kuroko Tetsuya. Imayoshi knew Izuki would not attempt such an egregious mistake again.

Which led him to two possible suspects.

Akashi's War Administrator, Mibuchi Reo. Or his kid brother, Kagami Taiga.

Both were highly skilled in the art of fire manipulation and possessed a viable motive to expunge Aomine. Akashi hardly retaliated against his own personal vendettas.

The quandary taxed his focus and he let out a ragged breath that fogged his glasses. He eagerly awaited the return of Susa, hoping the man had news to bring him from the Lord's castle. It was true that the Shadow and Ice were not allies, forbidden by the Wolf Pack Pact, but the man's attributes had an attractive allure that worked to both their advantages. When not fulfilling his confidential servitude to him, Susa was serving as the security advisor for the Lord, Kaizer, and Czar. An arrangement all three men were privy to.

Yesterday morning had almost seen the exposure of his accomplice's cover with the surprise appearance of Aomine's pet. Kuroko's presence among the Ice temple was explained as a punitive agreement and was restricted with conditions to prove the point. Yet his laxity frustrated him. Though a mere pawn, Kuroko navigated the board too freely for Imayoshi's liking.

He would need to cap a lid on that. And soon.

The crunch of grit captured his attention. The frost covering his exposed back and shoulders sharpened to needle-like points.

"Unclench, it's only me."

Imayoshi exhaled and the ice disintegrated into a plume of frozen powder. He tipped his head back to meet Susa's amused smirk.

He folded his fingers in his lap, palms yawning apart, and resumed steady breathing. "Have you learned anything useful?"

The shadow stepped into his peripheral vision and began, "Akashi didn't confess much to me before I was dismissed. The fledgling was sulking and was in need of a good lecture."

The tidbit interested him and he provoked that more be disclosed.

"Eavesdropping would have revealed nothing valuable, but from the microphones I installed, he was reaming the little brat about trying his luck with Aomine. He slipped the border sometime yesterday morning and had a confrontation. From what I saw on his way out, he looked like he got a good beating."

That delighted him. Inept or not, Aomine devoted himself to self-defense and was recognized for his ability to ground most men in the combat squad, including Nebuya. Kagami Taiga wouldn't have stood much of a chance.

"How did Aomine fare," he had to ask. The man hadn't reported to his office following the hunt and he wasn't seen causing some form of disturbance anywhere in the pavilion.

"I wondered the same thing," Susa said, arms crossing. "So I went by the hospital ward and took a gander at the outpatient pharmacy log. Antiseptic, ointment, bandages, and naproxen tablets. Signed M. Sat."

Imayoshi knew the signature. Momoi Satsuki.

"She didn't happen to list the patient, did she?" He knew the answer but he wanted to hear it.

"No. Left blank."

He grinned. And chuckled.

This was the good news he was hoping for. Now, more than ever, he was anxious to meet Lord Akashi and Kaizer Hyuuga.

—

"Aomine-kun, this is a terrible idea."

"And that's the fiftieth time you've complained, Tetsu," he griped in a forced whisper. "Now shut it."

The pair of them knelt in a thicket skirting one of the lower villages of the Fire castle, within sight of the nearest brick home. A map Tetsu produced before their trek began displayed that the dense vegetation crested nearly the entire hamlet, making ingress simple once the sun tucked away.

Orange and pink striated the lingering overcast and the collective crowing of birds signaled that night was fast approaching. The air was slick, as it had been yesterday. But Aomine reminded himself not to allow the bizarre calming effect of the mugginess to commandeer him headlong into trouble.

"We're neck-deep in enemy territory without a visa. And all because you insist on jerking Kagami-kun around."

He grumbled at the courtesy. "Honorifics, really?"

Nearby movement silenced them and they hunkered down into the shrubs. A band of children stormed around the field, launching wisps of fire at each other before disappearing behind the nearest dwelling. The beckoning of a concerned parent assured him that the interlopers wouldn't cause further problems and he remained motionless for a few moments. They continued on, keeping low.

"You chastise me, Aomine-kun," Tetsu whispered. "But you were the one flirting with the enemy during an interrogation."

Aomine balked and spun to face the shadow. "You've seen me flirt and that was _not_ flirting."

"True. If you were, he would have slapped you." He gave an indignant scoff of approval. "You were courting him."

Without remorse, Aomine hammered the edge of his palm on Tetsu's head.

At times he hated that the shadow knew as much as he did. Aomine never questioned his sexuality but had simply let it flourish. Women were immensely attractive, their skin soft and curves inviting. He had found through past flings that he was not immune to a supple bosom. During adolescence he would find his gaze lingering on other men, appreciating their sculpted physiques and came to the realization shortly before his divorce that men were equally attractive. Homosexuality was not a cardinal sin of the Ice temple, but it was irregular and private. Aomine hadn't worried as he'd identified as bisexual, finding sexual attraction with either gender with little complaint. Several relationships had spawned following his separation from Satsuki but the residual bitterness and self-deprecating took its toll. The longest one he'd participated in lasted little over a month. He had been successful so far in the last fifty years to withhold his orientation from all except Tetsu and Satsuki, his most trusted confessors. Not even Imayoshi was aware of his sexual inclinations. And wouldn't be until it became detrimental.

Had he thought Kagami was attractive? Hard to say. His energy was spent silencing the man's incessant heckling.

"How about we not discuss _my_ courting when you're so horrendously oblivious to female advances?" Surveying the encroaching darkness and seeing no activity, they pressed on.

"I've told you before, Aomine-kun—"

"I know, I know," he said, crossing a barren strip of foot traffic into a maze of bark and rock. "Asexual, doesn't feel the urge. Still, though, that doesn't mean you can't have a girlfriend."

"Few my age understand my disposition."

Aomine ducked behind a thick oak and yanked Tetsu down by the arm as a burst of chatter erupted from the cobbles just thirty feet away. Torch lights flickered to life and he watched as a group of men loitered between two gray brick homes, darkened from mold. He could see down the avenue and spotted similar structures. Homes of blacksmiths and carpenters. Menial laborers who represented the backbone of any society. Some minutes later the men disbanded, disappearing into nearby portals. The appetizing smell of cooking meat and herbs tickled his nose but he fought off the hunger. Assured that they were remotely alone, he looked at Tetsu, who had likewise been alerted.

"Ninety-seven is not old. Relationships aren't just about sex and there's a girl," he paused, considering the alternative, "or guy, out there who wants their other half as bad as you do."

He heard a defeated groan behind him as he skulked through the lush barrier and entered the walkway. "Please don't play on my romanticism."

The firelight was potent through the suburbs, bouncing radiantly off stone and rock with adequate contrast to the impending darkness. Aomine reached for and clasped Tetsu's hand, leading the way through the village. Commernsal conversation blipped in and out and few Apparitions remained outdoors as the sun kneeled to the moon. A pair of masons, identified from their tool belts, compelled them to seek the shadows and they unearthed in an oblong cast of blackness behind a large domicile one hundred feet away.

Stepping from the obscure confines, Aomine released his partner's hand and shuddered. "I never did like doing that. Feels like being wrapped in tar." Uncertain exactly where they surfaced, he peered beyond the face of the building, down the cobbles. No movement and no trespassers. The same was said of their surroundings. Tetsu eased from the wall and came around to the front.

"Aomine-kun, we're here."

He followed and perused the structure. Two round windows facing the street, a banner of a hammer and chisel, and a timber door. Smoke leaked from two chimney stacks, one larger than the other. A squatty rectangle of slate bricks that supported an additional wing for steel forgery. A modest little home. Aomine recalled little that he'd learned about Kagami in his century of life, reading and hearing even less. What he did know was that Kagami was the antithesis of his brother, hunted Neutrals, and dabbled in smithing. The map Tetsu had shown him of the area indicated renovations to the town in colored ink, the date inscribed within the legend. This building existed as a simple home, until the 1950s when the forgery was added. When Kagami Taiga was emancipated from his brother's influence.

He approached the door and tested the latch, finding himself surprised when the door creaked ajar. He entered and was bathed in the docile heat of the flames of the fire pit. The simple, yet domestic, feel of the interior surprised him. Equipped with enough to survive and laden with no luxuries that would be found in a castle chamber. Tetsu shut the door behind them and investigated. Curiosity coerced Aomine to explore as well and he crossed the unpolished wood to the gaping arch on the back wall. Embers breathed faint life into the stone furnace and tools lay dispersed along an unfurnished oak table. Works-in-progress hung from pegs mounted to the infrastructure and he stopped to examine them, noting the similar detail and shine the metal refracted.

"Aomine-kun."

He retreated, gaze lingering on the metalwork until he passed the portal, and spotted Tetsu standing before a large desk where he was transfixed on an open folder. He peered over the shadow's shoulder. The sight stunned him.

On Kagami's desk was a dossier about him. Marks littered the pages, bringing attention to desired information. Some of his accomplishments were accented with a circle and documented moments of his life underlined or bracketed. The sudden intimate interest in him sparked a foreign feeling in his gut and he couldn't prevent his lips from cracking apart.

He responded by producing the _kodachi_. One surface was streaked with oblique lines, signifying Kagami's Neutral pursuits. Then he turned it over. Two faint marks adorned the face.

_His_ contest with Kagami.

He felt a familiar tingle and met Tetsu's uneasy stare. A subtle nudge ushered a trusting smile to the shadow's lips and Aomine set the sword on the table. He knew the declaration of war would generate unrest for his partner. But Aomine wanted it.

The challenge. The thrill of hanging on the edge. The satisfaction of a well-fought battle.

But more than that, he wanted to maintain that cryptic jubilance he felt as he grappled with Kagami.

And if he was playing his cards right, Kagami would accept the invitation.

Tetsu sighed and they both headed for the door. "If only I was paid for my tolerance."

Aomine pulled the shorter man to his side and playfully jostled him. "I pay you with love. Pure and unadulterated."

An incoming voice froze them and trepidation kept them bolted. Would the person pass by? Then a second louder and annoyed voice geared Aomine's legs in reverse. He grasped Tetsu by the neck and scurried the both of them into the gloomy blackness of the forgery. He held Tetsu tight, defensively, to his chest as he tamed his panic.

The timber door flew open. "I'm not gonna say it again, Izuki. Enough with the goddamn puns."

So, he'd been right to recognize the second unknown.

Kagami Taiga.

—

Kagami stalked to his bed where he dumped his equipment belt. He dropped to the mattress and ripped at his bootlaces. Izuki slid inside and waited with a pensive expression. Which irritated him more. It was one misfortune to suffer the man's shitty sense of humor, but to shoulder being escorted almost everywhere on the premises—on his brother's orders—left him spiteful and vindictive.

To hell with Akashi and his doting complexes.

"You know, when you were a boy, you used to love my puns."

"There's this thing called moderation, senpai," he ground out and pulled off his boots. "Which you so grossly misinterpret as casual conversation."

"You're so much cuter when you're not angry."

The jab daunted him and he sputtered at the spymaster's elated face. "Don't call me cute."

He reigned in his embarrassment and peeled off his soiled shirt, tossing it noncommittally to sift for another in the dresser. Another, just as dark, replaced it.

"I'm not doing this to annoy you."

The sudden serious tone subdued Kagami's aggression. He watched the shorter man settle on his bed, a melancholic undertone about his features. When not wasn't entertaining colleagues, he'd noted the somber air that claimed the man. How calloused eyes would search the sky with a penetrative stare. As if hoping the divine forces of fate would reach out and cleanse the festering guilt.

He'd known some about the five men Izuki lost to Aomine. The charter members tended to keep to their own kind and few things were ever disclosed between Fire and Shadow. He had seen or encountered at least half of them as a youngster while neglecting his regimented tutoring in search of exercise. Stories filled in the gaps. All five men were people Izuki cherished like family, raising them under his tutelage at young ages. Whether the closeness was reciprocated was speculative. Upon reflection, Kagami did recall one. Mitobe Rinnosuke was renowned for his pure qualities. His silence, though frustrating to the many who did not understand him, his culinary ingenuity, and his selflessness. Fond memories assaulted Kagami. He remembered the private cooking lessons convened between him and the silent shadow. It had served him well, considering he'd recently been emancipated from Akashi and lived on his own within the smithing village. As royalty, he wasn't expected to provide for himself. Which did not settle well with Kagami at all. The loss of Mitobe spurred Kagami to convince Izuki to train him alongside other Shadow Apparitions.

The neglected memory, suppressed by his selfish pride, weighed heavy.

Of course, Kagami had sought to assassinate Aomine because of those five agents.

But Mitobe had been the catalyst.

And, for an unprecedented moment, Kagami had forgotten.

He hung his head in apology.

"I'm sorry, Izuki-senpai."

"We both lost something to that man, Kagami. Those boys were like the sons I couldn't have. And each of them died fulfilling an oath." The tone undulated with defeat and indignation. "Assassins are not cold-hearted. Not incapable of love or human emotion. But to kill them, as talented as they were," Kagami tipped his gaze to meet smoldering black eyes. "Aomine Daiki is a monster."

He swallowed the rock in his throat. It was rare for the spymaster to express hatred or sadness. But to exude both was unnerving.

"I'm sorry I failed, Izuki-senpai," he said, unsure if he was making the right move. "But I won't screw up next time."

"You wouldn't even have to endanger yourself if not for me," the man sighed, straightening himself and running a shaky hand through his hair. "Getting attached to those boys and then sending them off to slaughter. Maybe I'm heartless."

"Then what does that make parents?" The man stared, confused. "The men and women of every kingdom, of every temple, of every nation, love their children no differently than you loved those boys, senpai. And then when they grow up, they go to war. For their parents. For their nation, or kingdom, or temple." Izuki's characteristically content face dissolved. "Hanamiya, Haizaki, Moriyama, Mitobe, and Kuroko. You didn't push them into anything they hadn't already agreed to. Just like you're not pushing me."

A broken sob firmed his mouth closed and he slumped sheepishly. Dammit. He'd gone and run his mouth again.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to—"

"No," the man said through a sniff. "No, it's fine."

It was an awkward few moments for Kagami before Izuki looked at him again. His eyes were stained pink and nose erubescent.

"You have a way with words, Kagami."

He clammed up and fidgeted, palming his neck. "I just don't like it when people talk down about themselves."

The man's laugh was contagious and he chuckled along with him. When the ambiance of crickets and neighborhood chatter returned, Kagami encouraged a curious thought and asked, "What was he like?"

Slouching comfortably, Izuki's sodden face warmed. "Kuroko, right?" He hummed affirmatively. "Kuroko Tetsuya was an oddball. Very profound despite his reticence. Half the time I forgot he was there." He quirked an incredulous brow and a fond smile creased Izuki's mouth. "Ever since he was a boy, he's always maintained this phantom-like presence. He could be standing at your side but you wouldn't recognize him unless he spoke or you bumped into him. Kuroko came to me from Germany, from a halfway house near the capitol as an orphan. I wasn't told much about his family, and I didn't ask. Akashi allowed me to keep him only after I convinced him—"

"You make him sound like a pet," Kagami couldn't resist chortling.

"Well, I did almost put a bell around his neck."

They laughed again and when they calmed, Izuki continued. "I educated him, taught him basic combat and perseverance, and, once he was old enough, I put him in his own apartment. He loved sports and outdoor competition, but couldn't always keep up with the others. Moriyama and Haizaki would tease him, and Mitobe would always be quick to mitigate any confrontations between him and Haizaki."

His hand flew up in pause. "Wait a second, Kuroko got into confrontations with that guy? Wasn't he that delinquent punk who got ridiculed almost daily by Akashi?"

Izuki nodded. "Also got strapped to the flagpole for a week and a half in the winter because he defied attending Akashi's birthday party."

An uneasiness tightened Kagami's face. _Definitely sounds like Akashi._ He dared to ask, "What happened between them?"

"Kuroko dissented to an opinion Haizaki had about morality and Haizaki didn't like the tone Kuroko used. Only a few of their conflicts had ever been physical. After Moriyama and Haizaki fell to Aomine, Kuroko insisted I train him in the assassin arts. He was very concise with his reasoning: _this cannot stand_. He did not appreciate Aomine's actions then in the same way you don't now."

He nodded in understanding.

"I spent many years cultivating his abilities, taking advantage of his clever use of observation and misdirection. Small contracts were given to test him and he delivered beautifully. He was surprisingly delicate in the way he killed Neutrals and fugitives. Then Aomine took Mitobe's life and something within him changed. Beneath that listless veneer was a ferocity I had never perceived. In the weeks leading up to the assignment, Kuroko'd been exceptionally cruel." The man's brows knit pensively. "Reflecting now, he had been so hurt by the loss of the others that he wanted to hurt Aomine in the worst possible ways before killing him. And it showed with each contract I gave him before deciding he was ready." Izuki craned his head back and set his gaze to the ceiling. "And I pray every day that his contempt was not the source of his defeat."

—

Kuroko clutched Aomine's shirt as he listened. He needed to anchor himself as his body quaked through the emotional torrent. Hardly ever had he heard Izuki speak so openly about his feelings. It wasn't a matter of a man's pride that the spymaster withheld his emotions. Rather, he'd been hardened through more than a century of esoteric sleuthing where the less the enemy deduced about you, the longer you lived. He had always welcomed the fatherly advances of his mentor, even as an adult. But Izuki was right.

After losing Haizaki and Moriyama he'd turned cold. Consumed only by the desire to bring suffering and perdition upon the one responsible for bereaving his mentor. His fictive father.

In the end, he failed. Shaming Izuki and his compatriots.

Moisture stung his eyes. But he ignored the response and tuned in to the other room as voices sounded again.

"Well, I'm not done with Aomine yet," Kagami said. "It wasn't much, but I got a good taste of what he can do. I just need to outmaneuver and decommission his shadow."

"Shadow," Izuki inquired, tone stern. "The Ice doesn't possess shadows, Kagami."

"Aomine does. You saw the contract."

Kuroko's pulse skyrocketed and dread consumed him. He wasn't entirely certain if the prince came to the realization that "Tetsu" was "Kuroko Tetsuya." But the spymaster would. For thirty-four years, he diligently abstained from contacting Izuki. From letting his mentor know he was, in fact, alive. He had kept his presence minimal with each of the assassins who had come for his partner specifically to prevent the man's expectant vengeance. And at some point he had been identified. Knowing he was alive meant Izuki would invite more calamities upon Aomine until he was returned home safe. Something Kuroko now feared. More than just attachment to his partner kept him within the temple walls and he intended to return. Someday, when the tension between the Ice, Lightning, and Fire abated, he would reconnect with the spymaster and seek forgiveness.

Just not today.

"Who is it?"

"Not sure," Kagami replied and he exhaled a stiff breath. "It was some little shorty who assaulted me with those creepy shadows."

"These creepy shadows?"

The prince shrieked and the chair squealed against the floorboards as Kuroko suspected the man had reared back. "Yes, those. Now put them away, they're disgusting."

For a moment, his suspicions were slaked. Most Shadow Apparitions used their shadows in such a way. Children discovered the elementary talent in the shade of the summer sun and excelled at harassing each other with them. Kuroko was no exception, as Kagami was now aware.

Izuki's ceasing laughter diverted his focus.

"Find anything useful in the dossier?"

"A bit," Kagami confessed. "Learned a few things I would never have associated with the guy." The spymaster inquired further and the prince continued, "Like that he'd actually been married once for twenty years."

Aomine squeezed Kuroko responsively and he peeked to see his partner's face tense with scrutiny.

"Got gored once by an elk, too," Kagami pressed on. "Looks like it took a push just to get his ass through the Academy, too."

"You weren't the brightest either."

"Okay listen, bitch."

Aomine snorted and Kuroko whisked a hand to cover his partner's mouth. A silent argument occurred as they locked eyes.

Lucky for them the two had started laughing again.

"Anything particularly _useful_?" Izuki prompted.

The chair shuffled. "Yeah, there's some notes I—"

"Kagami?"

"What the hell is this?" The voice is both startled and angry, but contained.

Kuroko patted Aomine's chest and when the man looked down, he mouthed, "We need to go."

His partner held up a finger, signaling to wait.

"It's your blade," Izuki deadpanned.

Wood screeched against wood. "Aomine had my sword," Kagami argued and for a moment, he's silent.

Kuroko envisioned the contorted expression upon flipping the blade over. And why wouldn't the prince inspect his property after having been in unfamiliar hands? An unpleasant feeling sizzled his spine and he patted Aomine again, only to get ignored. Footfalls crept to the forgery portal and his heart clenched tight.

He bit Aomine's arm and acquired the man's full attention.

The lost stare was replaced by a similar anxiety and he willed the blackness to absorb them.

As if the floor had given way, they fell into the dark and disappeared.


	10. Chapter 10

**I hope I haven't disappointed with the chapters. It's always hard to find a good stopping point. I have more material in queue that deserves my intense scrutiny, so I'll be updating as often as I can. If any of the content confuses you (it may, this Apparition concept is something I fabricated from scratch) don't hesitate to ask. And as always, thank you for your consideration. : )**

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:X:

The morning had been arguably taxing for Aomine. Another of Tetsu's wake-up calls, about as charitable as the others, had woken him to a busy temple and even busier pavilion as people rushed about, unloading shipments of resources from overseas. Perishables, furniture, textiles, all imported from the American territory. That it coincided with the departure for the Fire's Japanese capitol only annoyed Aomine more. Insomnia and intense midnight retrospection worsened his mood.

It had been a whole day since he and Tetsu had snuck into Kagami's home in the smithing village and overheard the exchange with the spymaster. Before then, he hadn't been aware of the shadow's relationship to Izuki Shun or the four assassins he terminated. Knowing now that Tetsu had felt so furious and intended to make him suffer before death bothered him. He questioned their bond and considered that maybe the shadow still harbored those spiteful feelings. Then there was Kagami. The prince was earning points with him and not all necessarily good. While he intended to perpetuate their competition as long as possible, he wasn't pleased with the way the man was making himself familiar with his personal information. His marriage was none of Kagami's business, nor that elk accident, and definitely not his lackluster academic standing.

On the boat ride across the Sea of Japan, he tried to convince himself of two things. First, that if Tetsu had been duplicitous these past thirty-four years, secretly resenting his very presence and friendly advances, he more than deserved it. And he planned to muster the fortitude to prostrate himself in apology. And second, that the information the prince garnered from the dossier would only serve to spur their pugnacious energies and, should Kagami delve further, it may not even warrant much hostility. There were only so many things Aomine ever publicized about himself, that is to say nothing of the spurious gossip overheard along the promenades of the temple.

He had entertained the idea of performing his own reconnaissance, having Tetsu collect some scandalous information on the prince for him, but decided not to. Whether the man wanted it or not, his celebrity status as an heir had put him in more than just newspapers and textbooks. If he hung around the pavilion long enough, he'd intercept enough dirt to twist the prick and elicit a desirable reaction.

He and the rest of Imayoshi's contingent arrived in Fukushima early that afternoon. Along with him and Kuroko, Momoi and Wakamatsu had also joined. Kurokawa Castle was large, a testament of Japan's Edo period, along with hundreds more. An indomitable fortress, it served as both a military stronghold and seat of political power. War had crippled its usefulness and since then it had been rebuilt and maintained as the epicenter of Fire Apparition power. Imayoshi led the way through the halls bathed by the refractive sunlight of neighboring rooms. Traditional to Japanese castles, few rooms were closed off. Save for one on the second floor, where outside stood the half-pint Lord of the Fire.

Akashi Seijuurou.

To the man's left was an average-looking brunet with nervous eyes. Past introductions escaped him and Tetsu quietly reminded him of the name. Furihata Kouki, Akashi's Ambassador. To the Lord's right was a taller man. Silky black hair framed a feminine face, but Aomine knew better than to assume the man was incapable of violence. Mibuchi Reo was the War Administrator of the Fire, after all. Many an incursion had been conducted under Mibuchi's watch. The excessively sweet voice was just one of many charms that disarmed unsuspecting people. Then behind Furihata, Aomine saw him. Looking like a giant black backdrop against Akashi's Ambassador, Kagami stood silently, his face already laced with a scowl. He felt the man's stare searing his forehead as greetings underwent and the group filtered into the meeting hall. Uncharacteristic of the castle's Asiatic origins, a large western table centered the room, seating twenty. Placards designated the seating arrangements.

Aomine found his nametag and slid into his seat, thankful for the plush cushion. Akashi liked to play with his food and if he had to suffer the same indignity as the others of the temple, he wanted a comfortable seat.

Tetsu settled in on his right.

The Ice and Fire seated and small talk between Momoi, Wakamatsu, Furihata, and Mibuchi permeated the stiff air for a few minutes.

His leg bounced apprehensively and he folded over the table. Tetsu shunned his poor etiquette with a poke to the ribs. Aomine tipped his gaze to tell the shadow where to stuff it but his eyes landed elsewhere.

Beside Tetsu, a pair of fiery eyes stared.

Withholding surprise, he lifted on his elbows. But his face must have betrayed him as Kagami flashed a placard, reading "Kagami T. Translator."

The condescending grin the bastard flashed stunted his confusion.

"Must suck for you, huh, Aomine?" The only word he understood was his name, as the man had referred to that annoying Apparition vernacular.

He nudged Tetsu. "Kick him."

"Flirting," the voice was low and singsong and Aomine quickly jabbed the shadow's side.

Kagami threw him a questioning look as Tetsu doubled over but Aomine shrugged innocently.

A raucous chatter disturbed the table as the awaited party ushered inside.

As the Fire and Ice members started rising to greet the Lightning, Aomine reminded Tetsu about etiquette and received a nasty glare. Hyuuga entered first, followed by his wife and secretary, Riko. They made for an eccentric and terrifying pair and Aomine had silently wondered why she hadn't headed the military rather than that lunatic Hayakawa. The party funneled into their chairs and when the entire assembly had been seated, the meeting began.

Fate spited Aomine. The majority of the discussion was performed entirely in English and he strained his attention to keep up. Context clues did little to fill in the gaps and he instead found himself absentmindedly glancing from one face to another. He was only distracted when either Hayakawa or his loudmouthed doppelganger, Wakamatsu, roared in dissention to either Akashi's or Imayoshi's proffered claims. Tetsu's silence comforted him, at least. Brief clips of the subject matter translated to him, as Kagami and Sakurai would reiterate a misunderstood point to their sovereigns. Seemed like Imayoshi was being persecuted about the border hostilities. Which was no good.

The Dan had been getting petty slaps on the wrist for the past three decades so far. It was only a matter of time before the Fire snapped and called the man in to answer for the negligence.

His eyes then found Hyuuga, and his electric blond hair, and he wondered.

Why was the Lightning's intervention here necessary?

As he sifted through his limited mental resources, he noticed distant motion in the corner of his eye. That little secretary of the Kaizer's was looking at him again.

He locked eyes with Sakurai Ryou and the man visibly quailed. It felt like the sovereigns had been hashing it out with each other for an hour or more by now—Aomine would never know, with how inept he was at distinguishing time—and he'd caught the secretary giving him furtive glances all meeting long.

What was the man's problem?

He felt an elbow gingerly pop his afflicted side and Tetsu mouthed to pay attention.

Begrudgingly he sat up straight and took his eyes off the little man.

—

The air around Kuroko was palatable. Forced passiveness vibrated from his left and sustained belligerence oozed from his right. Truth be told, he was impressed that Aomine and Kagami managed to meet without first resorting to violence. Their brief exchange before the meeting was also relatively benign. But now that the debate had come to its precipice, Kagami's civility had eroded and the man's ever-mounting anger towards Aomine had come into effect. And it's not like Kuroko didn't understand why.

He told Aomine it would be a bad idea to deface the prince's weapon and then return it to him as a show of competition.

Yet Aomine had insisted. And so Kuroko followed.

Only now to be sandwiched between two men who wanted nothing more than to brawl with each other until one submitted and offered his head. Keeping up with them would be exhausting.

He believed he had done well to maneuver Aomine into lighter spirits and redirect him from what had transpired the other night. His perspicacity hadn't allowed him to ignore his partner's distracted stare and emotional distance. Nor was he unaware of the thoughts weighing the man's mind. Had he felt bitter about the agents Aomine killed? Absolutely. Accelerated to outrage once indefinitely bonded. Years were spent in silence, where he acquiesced to every order with cold indifference. More than once as Aomine slept, he contemplated risking electrocution to avenge the memory of the men he'd considered family. But the familiarity and generous attitude, displayed even to an incarcerated enemy-turned-servant, derailed him. Somehow, despite the altercation, Aomine never abused or disrespected him. Kuroko was irresistibly drawn to the vibrancy and his ugly hatred had been soothed.

As he'd watched the man brood out the window, he realized that one day they would speak of the incidents. One day when Aomine's mind wasn't torn apart with reflection, guilt, and competition. And proximity to Kagami would only exacerbate it.

He thought of magnets. At one moment attracting each other, and repelling the next.

He felt a faint brush against his shirt.

From his right.

Tucked stealthily behind folded arms, Kagami motioned with a note.

Kuroko returned a skeptical look as he eased it from the man's fingers.

The prince tipped his head in Aomine's direction and Kuroko reflexively glanced to his partner. The man was hunched over the table and remained attentive to the meeting but was entirely lost.

Stern resilience in the man's eyes commanded he pass the paper to Aomine.

Not wanting to draw attention, he complied.

He bumped his partner discreetly.

—

Aomine eyed the slip peeking beneath his arm. He glanced sidelong to Tetsu and identified the assuring look in the shadow's eyes. It was one thing for him and Satsuki to pass notes during board meetings. But Tetsu?

Shielding the paper strip with his arm, he thumbed it open.

_You fucked up my blade._

A subtle smirk hooked his mouth and he swallowed a snort. Kagami's handwriting was more deplorable than his. He resisted shooting a snarky look over at the prince and scribbled his response, dropping the slip into Tetsu's lap.

_If you don't like it, can I have it?_

The return was swift and he swore he heard the man mutter in more of that horrible English. _You can wait. You and it will be reacquainted real soon._

This was bad. Aomine could feel the grin widening on his face and the energy bubbling within him. Gestating a moment, he decided to try goading Kagami into a physical reaction. Any more prodding and he wouldn't be able to contain himself. At least if the prince caused a scene first, he could avoid blame and Wakamatsu's subsequent screeching.

_You're just pissy because I broke into your house, not because I gave back your sword. Get over yourself._

Tetsu sighed dejectedly and handed the paper over again. Nearly a minute passed before the slip was in his possession again. The written words had him bristling and a hot pain shot through his chest.

_I can get over trespassing. But you? You're still racking your pea-brain because you still think Imayoshi isn't lying to you. Guess what, buddy. He is. Just accept it._

Insult crinkled the paper beneath his fingers. That was one less thing he wanted to think about. Overwritten by infiltrating the smithing village and overhearing Izuki Shun and the prince, Aomine almost buried the matter. As he did with expert ease about most things.

But Kagami was proving excellent at knowing which buttons to push. Which was fine.

Because Aomine was likewise adjusting.

_I beat you. Twice._

Tetsu delivered the slip once again. Then silence. He heard a growl and cut a glance to Kagami. The man's eyes were piercing and enraged. Feral energy swarmed between them and bathed Aomine's nerves with vigor. At the most subtle twitch of Kagami's finger, he shot up out of his chair.

—

Kuroko leapt into action when his partner's chair hit the floor, followed no later than a second by Kagami's. Stuck between lashing arms, he braced himself against Aomine and leaned hard into the larger body. Shadows laced up the prince's legs and torso. He helplessly pushed against Kagami's chest to deter him. Despite his intervention, the two jostled for freedom, cursing and shouting obscenities at each other. Aomine drove forward and he felt his footing slipping. He geared the confines to coil around and arrest Kagami's arms from meeting his partner's face.

Somewhere between their wrestling and deep baritones, he pleaded with them to stop. Handling just one of them was manageable. But two of them? Impossible. He just wasn't big enough.

"Taiga. Daiki."

Though smooth, the voice was like a gunshot. They froze.

Akashi Seijuurou, red-gold eyes peeking above steepled fingers, stared right at them.

Slowly he relaxed and the black vines slithered from Kagami's form to the shaded space below the table. Aomine shoved the man's shoulder and was replied to with a punch to the chest.

"Enough." Another word softly uttered, but carried with intensity, straightened the guilty to attention.

Kuroko opened his mouth to apologize, but Akashi spoke first.

"Both of you, hands behind your back." Neither hesitated. "Shadow-kun, bind them."

Knowing better than to defy the Lord's order, he consented and manipulated the shadows pooling around Aomine and Kagami's feet to thread up and wrap their wrists.

He looked to the sovereign and noted a weak smile beneath tented hands.

"Take a walk."

—

Silence befell the meeting hall as the unruly men were escorted out, kept apart by Kuroko who positioned himself between them. Imayoshi had suspected Aomine would provoke Kagami somehow. Given what Susa disclosed about their encounter he concluded that both had wounded pride to redeem. His initial plan had been to leave Aomine behind at the temple, where the guild and combat squad would congregate and prepare for the upcoming battle. Though Imayoshi was confident in his trump card, he was intimately aware of Akashi's arbitration. While being berated, he had noticed Aomine wasn't paying attention. Which was fine.

Aomine was leverage. Evidence of the Fire's preliminary hostility in a time of international unrest.

That the man had acted impulsively, though expected, and was expelled from the debate displeased him. He was running out of time and Aomine was becoming difficult to moderate. Exposure to the crown prince was spoiling the obedience Imayoshi had spent decades earning. His words needed to be both terse and effective. He'd spent months dancing around Akashi's vapid threats, knowing that the tsunami was swelling and churning, and used the time to acquire the distance, information, and resources necessary to shoulder such a cataclysmic thrashing.

Today would prove whether his fortifications were potent enough to weather the storm.

No matter how the meeting ended, it would come. But he hoped to reduce its power.

The dignitaries muttered among their compatriots about the indecent display and Hyuuga slapping the tabletop a few times reined in attendance. That despicable Russian nonsense flowed from tight lips in controlled ire and disgust, soothed to a whisper by a gentle stroke to the arm by the Kaizer's wife.

Akashi cleared his throat. "Dan," he said. "You've heard our complaints and have been brought to light about your transgressions. You are given the floor to rebut."

Imayoshi withheld a scowl. Transgression was such an ugly word and was more suitable for the heinous barbarism the perimeter dwellers of the Fire exercised when they crushed, melted, and dismembered cowering women and children who foraged for their families near the borderline. The thought, though stirring his fury, strengthened his composure. Head held high and hands at rest in his lap, he began.

"Though I am just as amenable for the genocide occurring at the borderline as you are, Lord," he caught Akashi's faint squint, "a greater injustice has come to my attention."

Perplexed murmurs rounded the table. The perpetual furrow of Hyuuga's brow deepened and the Lord leaned forward.

"More egregious than genocide, you say? Whatever could it be?"

He deflected the mockery and dove right in. "Your Kagami Taiga physically assaulted Aomine Daiki within our territory."

Hushed voices and gasps crossfaded his declaration. A whisper of dread from his left pleased him. Momoi Satsuki covered her agape mouth, eyes transfixed in bewilderment. The pen shook between her dainty fingers as she recorded the revelation.

Immediately Hyuuga interjected, "Bullshit, you can't prove that."

"Quiet down, four eyes," Wakamatsu hissed defensively.

Sakurai squeezed in to calm the tension only to have his War Administrator turn on the little brunet. Hyuuga nearly rose to Wakamatsu's aggression had Akashi not intervened. When everyone was once again silent and apprehensive, the Lord gestured for him to finish.

"The attack happened three days ago. The details have been sparse, as I have not had an interview with Aomine to confirm—"

Hyuuga did not hesitate to rebuke, "Bullshit, like I said."

"However," the emphasis of importance pursed the man's lips indignantly. "I do have a confession from the nurse who treated him hours after the confrontation for a second degree burn not obtained by accident but malicious intent."

Akashi reclined and threw Imayoshi a look of feigned interest. "Is that so?"

He produced the outpatient log from the assortment of papers in front of him and heard Momoi suck a sharp breath. "Momoi-san," he hovered the paper below her eyes. "If you'd kindly corroborate."

Shaken eyes, laced with ridicule, scrutinized him and she claimed the sheet. Few things ever disheveled the powerful mien of confidence she wore and he reminded himself, as she collected herself before the audience waiting eagerly around her, that it was not his hobby to torment people. But her testimony was crucial to his argument and he needed her to deliver.

"I treated Aomine-kun, three days ago, for a second degree burn afflicted to his waist between the iliac crest and twelfth rib. Obtained within six hours of treatment, I applied the necessary medicine, including bandages, antiseptic, and ointment, and prescribed naproxen sodium tablets to suppress inflammation." Her body, though firm with practiced exposure to political intercourse, was tight with discordant emotions. Resentment, insult, and uneasiness fought for control. But she expertly subjugated her features as Akashi spoke.

"And did Aomine-kun disclose his attacker?"

A silent battle waged between the embittered woman and the Lord, where neither said a word. They merely stared in contest for a pregnant moment.

"He refused."

Disappointment punched his gut. He'd hoped a little more input from her would embellish his case. But Aomine had privatized the incident and it had hurt that his nephew hadn't thought to report to Imayoshi concerning an assassination attempt on his life. By a Fire Apparition. A monumental twist of fate that the man had ignored.

And for what?

To perpetuate schoolyard harassment with the prince to occupy his boredom.

"This is a waste of time," Hyuuga snarled belligerently, as sparks of electricity crackled around crossed arms. "It's obvious you're just scrambling for salvation because you've screwed yourself out of every deal we've dangled over your head to save your pathetic temple. Good thing you never set foot on my doorstep or you wouldn't have your little slice of China wilderness anymore."

Imayoshi did not tame the glare he sent the Kaizer. "Is that a declaration of war?"

The electricity thickened and covered the man's chest and neck. "Cross the border and find out."

"Gentleman," Akashi said with a monotonous calm that annoyed him.

Like shunned children they came into line.

"The Dan's statement is true."

The room bellowed with contention. He watched as the Lord's contingent desperately beseeched the man for the truth. Hayakawa and Hyuuga's vehement refusals blended as they censured the Lord's mendacity. Along with no sense of humor, much like that whelp Kuroko, Akashi rarely told a lie. Even if he did, he arrogantly eluded responsibility and assured the deception was necessary to achieve attractive goals.

Regaining the assembly's attention went ignored as the Lord continued in lieu of the cacophonous complaining. "Taiga accepted a contract from my spymaster that he sought to fulfill. I confronted him about his mission success and he told me he failed."

Expectedly, the honeyed voice of Akashi Seijuurou soothed the assembly.

As if for emphasis, the man summated, "Kagami Taiga attacked Aomine Daiki first."

Victory was festering to the point of overflow and it took all of his energy to contain his exuberance. To gauge the Lord's thoughts, he taunted, "Which leads to only one solution."

The Lightning bristled and the Fire festered.

This was it.

He had won.

"The annexation of the Ice."

Confusion teemed among his compatriots as they looked between each other. Flustered eyes hooked him and trepidation drowned his confidence.

"You can't do that," Wakamatsu spat.

"Annexation is an excessive use of force against someone who has—" Mibuchi interrupted Momoi curtly.

"Against a government who has resisted all means of peace and has perpetuated international discord through the unlawful methods of guerilla warfare, trespassing, and kidnapping."

Imayoshi couldn't defend himself, as Akashi segued into dialogue. "We have tolerated your pessimistic approach to compromise and fielded your lack of control over villager vigilantism with patience. We have given you countless chances to reverse the damage you've irreparably caused. And now you have left us with no choice. This is our final deal, Dan."

He didn't like the glance he cut across to Hyuuga anymore than he liked the words that followed from the Kaizer's mouth. "You have forty-eight hours to consider surrendering to the Fire and Lightning crowns, wherein our forces will immediately mitigate public procedure and meliorate the corruption you've distended upon your nation. Should you fail to adhere, we will invade and conquer you."

Emotional control was thrown to the wind. "You will not. Aomine is protected under the 1990 accord, the same as every other Ice Apparition born within the temple." He hadn't meant to enforce his words with a snarl, but he forgave his solecism considering the circumstances.

"But Aomine-kun isn't of the Ice, is he?" Akashi flashed a photocopied document for all eyes to witness. A highlighted strip near the center enraged him. "The agreement states, '_protection of hostilities against offending parties is inclusive to those born within Apparition territory and possessing appropriate lineage.'_"

"Which reinforces my point."

"No, it does not. The pact recites that those born within the land are protected. But Aomine-kun does not qualify. Though born within an Apparition territory, he does not possess an inkling of the desired lineage."

Imayoshi bridled his increasing temper and managed, "His mother—my sister—was a pureblooded Ice Apparition. His affiliation is guaranteed."

"We're not talking about Imayoshi Nori," Akashi said. "We're talking about Aomine Daiki, who is not only illegitimate but a Neutral who does not possesses, nor ever displayed, an inkling of Ice power since his birth."

He quietly raged. Several cases would confirm that parentage factored into a child's ethnicity. Genetics were canonical evidence to the matter of nationality, but also a source of intense deliberation when interracial breeding was put into play. But of course, Akashi would overlook it and establish his own credence. More than just to spite him, but to seize control and pressure him into folding, using the threat of usurpation as an inescapable deterrent.

"Aomine Daiki is _not_ an Ice Apparition. He's a Neutral and therefore not protected. The incident between him and Taiga is stricken from the record."

He needed a distraction from the diatribe and began massaging his wrist out of sight from the Lord and Kaizer.

"I will say it once more, Dan." Petulantly he drew his downcast eyes to meet red-gold. "You have forty-eight hours. Either you surrender before then, or face invasion."

From his peripheral vision he noted the stares of Wakamatsu and Momoi. It had all been a steady stream of events that had now lurched into a nauseating kamikaze spiral into the pits of hell. While confident that he managed to attain some leverage, his suspicions that Akashi would play dirty had allowed him to formulate subsequent plans. Ones that he needed to launch with haste.

Without conferring with his associates, he leaned challengingly forward and said, "Screw you."


	11. Chapter 11

**And here's the next installment. More fun to write than edit, lemme tell you. :c I hope you look forward to the rest of the story and tell me what you think. Your feedback is very motivating. Enjoy!**

* * *

:XI:

No words disrupted their jaunt through the castle halls, allowing Kagami to reflect. Aomine was right. The vandalism of his _kodachi_ hadn't pissed him off. On the contrary, he was brimming with excitement. It had taken two nights' worth of sleep for him to accept that the Neutral offered more than just a recurring memory of shame. Though emancipated, Akashi regulated the activities he invested in around the castle and even with the myriad of commitments he had, a hole resided deep. Nothing filled it for long and even his favorite recreational habits only satisfied him temporarily.

But the jubilance that spiked his heart and geared his energies into overdrive. That was something he foresaw becoming addicted to. More than just the irresistible attraction of competition, the man's unprecedented style had him captivated. Wanting to uncover more of what the man had to offer.

Aomine was interesting prey. Kagami would give the Neutral that.

He cut a sidelong glance. Aomine walked in silence, eyes forward and jaw tight. Then he remembered. Before in the holding cells, when he'd nettled the man with insults, retaliation had been curbed. Pain twisted frustrated features and revealed an alluring mystery that Kagami hoped one day to crack. After all, how many people does one meet who cannot properly express anger?

"Take a picture, it lasts longer."

His eyes cut into focus on a smug grin. "Don't flatter yourself."

A slight pinch to the shadow cuffs warned him to resist tempting Aomine, but he ignored them. They rounded a corner into one of many similar-looking stretches of hallway. Sunlight sliced through the balusters of the parapet and bathed the walls with comforting warmth. No attendants roamed this corridor. Which he liked. They'd received too many complex stares on their way to the perimeter of the second floor. And why wouldn't they? Two large men led in procession like prisoners by a frail little warden was quite a sight. Kagami would share in the amusement if he wasn't involved.

"Nice to see you aren't pouting anymore. You're so ugly when you pout," he said.

"And you're so much sweeter when you aren't bitching about your little dagger."

"I was supposed to take it back from you, you dick."

"You're too slow. The wait alone would have killed me."

He knew he was being baited but he let himself be swept along. "You're so insufferable. I should have just killed you when I had the chance."

"I love you, too."

He halted and popped the man's shin with his toe. "Look here, asshole. Don't get cute with me."

Aomine stopped and whistled. "Easy, tiger."

"Excuse you?"

"Sensitive, are we? What are you so mad about, anyway? It was just a scrimmage."

He drove a knee forward that the man sidestepped. "It was not, you impudent shit."

"Fine, play date. Whichever."

"Probably the most attention you've gotten since you were born, considering how worthless and undesirable you are."

The barb ruffled Aomine and the superior countenance faded. "You wanna say that again?"

"Don't know why I have to keep reminding you. You're a Neutral. Nothing. A waste of goddamn space."

That same flash of pain hinted offended features. He wanted to dig deeper and uncover more to that expression. A tight pressure gripped his nape and his forehead connected aggressively with Aomine's. Shooting pain coursed his brain and he combated the restraints to assuage the ache.

"What the fuck, Tetsu?" he hissed.

"Hey, don't get familiar, asshole," Aomine ground out through equally clenched teeth and squinted as if it would flush the pain.

"Since you two insist on squabbling like children, I will punish you like children." Both tone and stare were absolute.

But he didn't buckle.

"This isn't your business. Butt out, Tetsu."

Aomine stepped close. "Are you deaf?"

"What're you gonna do, hit me?"

The shadow reached up, grabbed their ears, and tugged down hard. They yelped as they met Tetsu at eye level. The man's stare was glacial. Kagami swallowed.

"You," directed to Aomine. "Quit coaxing." Then to him. "And you may call me Kuroko."

He wasn't stupid enough to protest, so he nodded.

"Are we done?"

He shifted a curious glance to Aomine who reciprocated rebellion. He returned the look and shrugged out of the little man's grasp.

"No, because this asshole forgets his place."

Aomine dislodged his head and rose to full height. "I'm not gonna keep saying it. I'm from the Ice, you incompetent twit."

Kagami allowed a playful smirk. "Even more to my advantage then."

The man snuffed and turned to Kuroko, motioning to him. "Kill him."

"Oh, bring it on, shorty."

The shadow bowed and said, "I respectfully decline." Their protests went ignored as Kuroko continued. "This contest does not involve me. You two started this on your own and that's how you're going to finish it."

"Whoa, hey," Aomine cut in. "You're ditching me?"

The shadow didn't respond to the wounded look with apology. "Absolutely not. But I will not help you fight your battles. Especially ones I did not start." He noted the displeasure diffusing Aomine's face. "That being said, I will not let you die."

Perplexity forced Kagami to interject. "Hold on a damn minute. You just said you weren't getting involved."

"That I did."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? His mental torment must have shown because the smaller man smiled. Fighting down the flares now prickling his cheeks and neck, he clenched Kuroko's head and squeezed. "Now look here you little shit. Don't get all cute with me. You think I'm an idiot?"

The faint snicker annoyed him and Kuroko pointed up. He followed the finger and noticed no black thread around his wrist. Embarrassment heated his cheeks and he wrenched his hand away. When had he been released? Aomine was enlightened to his freedom and sputtered only a moment. Both locked eyes on the shadow, whose face masked more pride than willed to be shown.

From down the corridor, a loud voice bellowed. That noisy War Administrator Wakamatsu was saying the meeting concluded and it was time to leave. Kuroko enjoyed a moment of victory and led them back through the same circuit. He couldn't help but stare admiringly at the smaller man's back. Such manipulation intrigued him and he silently praised the shadow's tact. Though annoying, it deserved acknowledgement. One day he would make it known.

The congregation milled about the expanse of the hallway outside of the meeting room, segregated to their respective parties, sixty feet away. Wakamatsu gained distance and was alerting Imayoshi to the Neutral's return once they reached the threshold. Hyuuga's group was disappearing down a flight of stairs beside them, Hayakawa's grating voice slowly fading. He spotted blackness in the Dan's face that he didn't like as the party approached. Imayoshi beckoned his associates to follow upon passing and a nudge from the Neutral adjusted his tracing gaze.

"Don't miss me too much, Kagami."

"Kiss my ass."

"Don't tempt me."

Aomine sauntered away. He stammered and hooked Kuroko by the collar as the smaller man turned to leave. His flustered expression amused the shadow, if the twinkling eyes were any indication. The unspoken question was succinctly answered with a noncommittal shrug.

"Just don't tempt him, Kagami-kun."

—

The return to the castle had felt considerably quicker than departure. Aomine attributed it to his reformed mood. During the boat ride he'd occupied a bunk and entertained the many new ways he could rankle Kagami into a fitting reaction to incite another contest. He was only scratching the surface of the man's character and the prospect of what lie beneath was exciting. True, the prince's attitude sucked and never once had he considered it possible to suffer the man's company for pleasure. Too much effort to emend sour first impressions.

They docked in the bay at nightfall and entered the temple well after hours. Hunger and fatigue hampered his rampant imagination and he planned to satisfy both had Imayoshi not proposed an audience with him and Tetsu. Wakamatsu and Satsuki were discharged and the three of them headed for the Dan's office. Contrary to conventional practices, the man permitted entry without removing their shoes as sleep sought them all. While being offered tea Aomine wondered why this couldn't wait until morning. Whatever _this_ was.

Imayoshi settled and began. "We're facing a crisis. Akashi and Hyuuga are looking to either annex or invade."

Despite his reduced faculties, the words delivered a sharp punch to his attention. "Wait, what?"

"That conniving snake overlooked my rebuttal and offered only two options. My answer is expected in forty-eight hours."

Not news to him. Akashi exuded cunning extremism. It was always all or nothing.

"What case did we have against him?" Tetsu asked.

Imayoshi removed his glasses and cleaned the lenses. "That's irrelevant."

The response was curt. Which only made him curious about what the Dan had presented. But the man appeared to be reluctant to explain so he allowed it to pass.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You're to join Nebuya and get to work fortifying defensive lines." A pad of paper and pen were produced and a message furiously scribbled. "See the chief later today and get started." He took the sheet and the Dan pointed to Tetsu with the pen. "Kuroko-kun, you're to remain by Aomine's side at all times and treat any suspicious activity as hostile."

The shadow nodded and Imayoshi dismissed them.

On his way out, he stole a glance back. Something had the man in a vice and he hadn't thought to consider himself responsible. It wasn't the first time he'd caused a disturbance during a convention and definitely not the first time he'd been ejected. While strolling the promenades to his chamber he made a mental note to revisit the matter with Imayoshi later.

—

The sleep aids hadn't performed the desired effect, much to Imayoshi's disappointment. After excusing Aomine and Kuroko, he tasked a nurse to fetch him a sedative. He managed a light nap and stress washed brain with frustration. His initial plan hadn't reached completion, suspended once he learned of Aomine's confrontation with Kagami Taiga. Even if for a while, the Ice could withstand the onslaught long enough for winter to strengthen their natural advantage as it had many times in the past. Had things gone according to plan, Kagami's assault on Aomine would have resulted in the Ice's exclusion from combat. The Fire would vicariously wage war in their stead against their northern ally. While postulated to prevent a conflagration of epic proportions, it would have also served to weather the trust between the Lord and Kaizer. After all, they were friends only on paper. The two hardly tolerated each other beyond conference.

As he anticipated the appearance of Susa, contacted shortly after breakfast, he relived the discourse between him and the sovereigns.

What was it Akashi had said?

_Though born with _an_ Apparition territory…_

The phrasing alerted him. Was the Lord privy to the truth? His clamorous emotions cloaked the room with a frigid chill and the sweat slicking his palms glued his fists shut.

"Didn't go well, did it?"

He looked to the speaker. Susa surfaced from the darkened corner and knuckles tapped the frosted wall. A deep breath thawed his temper and the ice receded. Gesturing, the shadow sat adjacent at the low table and Imayoshi slid over a tea cup. He decided English best. "The little prick was a step ahead of me."

Susa accepted the suggestion. "Must have really screwed with you if you've resorted to foul language."

He filled the cup and posited the kettle on a stone coaster. "I wagered the attack on Aomine."

"Sure that was a good idea? Technically we only had a theory."

"I wrangled Momoi into confirming the incident, hoping Aomine disclosed the details. But, true to form, he revealed nothing."

"She may have lied."

He shook his head. "She's too loyal."

"Unsupported evidence only provides so much." Susa reclined comfortably on an elbow. "What did Akashi say?"

"Kagami confessed to the attack. He knew about the contract and his little brother reported his failure. Despite that, he professed that Aomine was not protected by the 1990 accord due to his Neutrality."

"Which is nonsense."

His tone turned grave. "Nonsense he may very well be privy to."

Susa rose slowly and looked at him grimly. "You're kidding." Imayoshi reiterated what Akashi told him about the agreement's disclaimer and the shadow grimaced. "How could he possibly come into that information? We were careful."

He groaned and shoved his spectacles up his nose, rubbing his eyes. "Leaks happen. Eliminating all of them will take time we cannot afford." He glanced to the man's impatient face and said, "We need to initiate our plan. As soon as possible."

"What's our window?"

Imayoshi was confident he wouldn't receive undue visitors. It was now two in the afternoon and the temple folk were immersed in business or pleasure. Aomine was preoccupied with Nebuya and Kuroko was forbidden to leave his nephew's side. Momoi and Wakamatsu were likewise busied with an emergency board meeting to inform the directors of the sudden developments. Before breakfast he issued that a statement was to be broadcast via radio later that afternoon, to announce the impending war. He would be allowed repose for at least a few hours.

He brought Susa up to speed, telling him about the ultimatum and the now thirty-eight hours remaining.

"There's no way in hell you'll survive for long. Since they dismantled your army sixteen years ago, most officers retired. The fledglings in the combat squad and hunter's guild are nothing short of cannon fodder." The shadow emptied the contents of the cup and Imayoshi mechanically topped it off. "None of them are suitable for the plan."

He traced the lip of his cup pensively. Susa seemed to notice and asked for clarification. A wry smile claimed his mouth.

"I actually have the perfect candidate in mind."

"Care to elaborate?"

Despite the cushion of security, he leaned close and spoke low. "Aomine Daiki."


	12. Chapter 12

**Curse chapter length variances, right? Setting the flow is so hard but I proofread it a few times to make sure I deliver at least a little something between updates. That being said, look forward to a quick release of chapter XIII tomorrow. I've had it sitting in queue, ready to post for a week now (like this one) but have been a bit nervous to post it for fear that I overlook errors or forget to include crucial details. Please enjoy and thank you for sticking with TWCH. (' u')/**

* * *

:XII:

Kagami scanned the forest wall. It had been a rigorous twelve hours upon returning to the China castle where he and the military fortified defensive barriers and erected command stations along the borderline. Three zones pocketed the Ice from the south, each commandeered by one of Akashi's elite. Furihata headed zone two, Mibuchi zone one. Kagami appropriated zone three following a heated argument with his brother. Akashi had been insistent that he remain beyond the battle zone but he refused to be designated a noncombatant simply because of his status.

Wispy towers of charcoal smoke dispersed the evening air from several fires dotting the defensive lines. More than just a means of identification, it also served to inform the Ice when time was up. Destroying nature was never done in malice and proper respects would be paid once the conflict was resolved.

Sleep had come sparingly to Kagami, managing only three hours. He was eager to lend support. Much to his disappointment, his contest with Aomine would have to wait.

As the hours waned, he governed the men under his charge with effective haste to prepare. Drills were conducted, provisions dispensed, and sleeping arrangements organized. By far, it was the largest convergence of men beneath the stars he had ever witnessed. Fatigue dried his eyes but he willed them to comply for a little while longer. He sat before a timber table where he twirled the _kodachi_ listlessly. The dossier lay open beside him, covering inventory logs and a dispatchment roster. As his brain turned sluggish he allowed his mind to wander.

Aomine'd infiltrated his thoughts on the boat ride back home. The enigmatic bastard was compromising his integrity as a hunter. Reluctant to accept it at first, he now considered their compatibility beyond the stage of competition. The man was blessed with impressive skill, an attractive sense of humor, and undeniable charisma. The physique was nothing to sneeze at either. If he was being honest with himself, he liked what he saw. The lean muscled frame belied unperceivable power. Clever hands were hardened from a century of survival. Then there was the prick's mouth. Sarcastic and gorgeous, whether it was flattering or insulting him. Thinking back now, he wasn't surprised that he allowed the attraction. His last relationship ended on a sour note and all of his time since was committed to the spymaster's tutelage. Aomine provided a much needed outlet for his frustration and, so long as he reminded himself of the ultimate goal, he could shamelessly use the man to exhaust his retainer. And with the allure of future bouts, he was eager to satisfy his need of physical contact. After all, it was no different from Aomine's agenda. Wasn't it? The man had been coaxing him during the conference and Kagami wasn't immune to come-ons.

What was it Kuroko had said?

_Just don't tempt him._

Maybe he just might.

"Kagami."

He perked and twisted in his chair. Izuki stood at the mouth of the tent. He let the blade clang to the tabletop and stood to attend to the man. The spymaster held a desisting hand. Silently he thanked the charity and sunk into the seat again.

A rolled poster was flashed and he cleared the table clutter. Izuki unrolled and weighted the sheet. His tired eyes traced the recognizable image. A battle formation drawn on a scaled map of the terrain encompassing the temple, cropped to within one hundred and fifty feet of the north-south borderlines. Where Hyuuga and Akashi's defensive perimeter was set up. A system of color-coded arrows speared toward the center of the temple, cutting across the sea of villages hugging the structure.

"We've already received agreement from Furihata and Mibuchi to use the Stardust Maneuver," the spymaster said and continued on to explain the movement's design. Akashi's three stations would encircle the southern hemisphere of the Ice territory, meeting Hyuuga's four stations from the north. Together they would plunge inward, subduing the villages, and make their way to the center where the armies would disperse and dominate the capitol.

He approved and Izuki rewound the map. He was told to await further orders in the morning and urged to catch as many hours of sleep as he could manage. Rest became scarce during wartime. The man excused himself. Kagami collapsed onto the cot, uniform and all, and drifted off.

—

Aomine's emotions clashed. The revelation earlier that morning brought with it more than unwanted anxiety. Respite hadn't come graciously to him and he was getting fed up. No distraction lasted long enough to remind him that there was actually time to relax. Not since his first encounter with Kagami Taiga had he maintained more than a day of peace. And it was showing. Both Tetsu and Satsuki had flashed those annoying concerned looks and it took all of his energy not to snap at them.

While he discussed battle tactics with Nebuya that afternoon, he noticed the pair whispering to each other. On any other day, he would ignore it. Satsuki's charming giggles received by Tetsu's handsome smile. The thought crossed his mind to revert to delinquency and progress their despicably slow development with petty antics. He may not have been one hundred percent accurate when he said Tetsu was horribly incompetent at interpreting romantic advances. Furtive observation showed that, while Satsuki wasn't as guarded about her intentions, the shadow did everything to promote emotional distance. Which bothered him. Aomine wasn't bright in some areas, be it from inexperience or disinterest, but he knew pining when he saw it. And both were horribly conspicuous.

And maybe it was his oversensitivity today, but it was pissing him off.

Among his other obligations to fulfill, he ranked "ream Tetsu a new one for skirting Satsuki's interest" near the top of the list.

He eased a glance to the portal where his partner and ex-wife were still communing. The casual gesture in his direction from Satsuki irked him and he viciously twisted the leather belt he was polishing in retaliation.

He was fine, dammit.

They needed to stop talking about him. Within his presence, no less.

Ignoring a comforting clap on the back from Nebuya, he hollered for the shadow to assist with preparing gear. Imayoshi's announcement had gone out a few hours ago and with the influx of Apparitions joining the fight, he and Nebuya's contingent had been tasked to retrieve uniforms and refurbish equipment. Tetsu had been helping until Satsuki requested an audience that was going on its third hour.

Tetsu hurriedly bowed in apology to Satsuki and snaked through the men moving about the barracks. He handed the shorter man a box of boots that needed shining. The chatter of the men faded as the dull throb of worry flooded his agitated brain once more.

He remained as passive as possible while the three worked but his ministrations to the equipment were noticeably tense. Tetsu knew better than to say anything in front of unfamiliar company and for that he was grateful. As well as Nebuya's slow uptake to him abusing the belts and boots he tended to. The very real thought that, once overcome, he would be one of the first of the Ice erased from existence terrified him. Whether he truly believed it or not, Akashi and Hyuuga put faith in his Neutral status. And that meant something. The sovereigns wouldn't hesitate to throw the hammer of justice at him. Killing one hundred and twenty Shadow Apparitions was a violation of some obscene law Akashi would fabricate to embellish Aomine's prosecution.

Why couldn't those bastards consider an alternative? As someone who's inherently powerless, what other choice did he have but to kill his aggressors? He hadn't provoked any of the men or women who'd hunted him like an animal. He didn't know them yet they knew all about him. Then there was Kagami. Would the prince abandon their contest and kill him? Gloating about his recognized Neutrality with that attractive smirk and those resplendent eyes as the _kodachi _pierced his heart?

The world was laughing at him. At his strife. At his helplessness. At his infirmity.

Scorn evolved into fury and a hot pain ricocheted through him. The undignified cry alerted both Nebuya and Tetsu.

The chief ceased reparations and nudged him. "Did you pinch yourself?"

"No," he hissed through a tight jaw. He had meant to corral his temper but the pain resided and escalated. It scorched his fingertips and he dropped the equipment to the floor. "God fucking dammit."

Nebuya palmed his nape and rubbed bulky fingers into the muscle. "Easy, man. Calm down."

The applied force wasn't helping much but to save face, Aomine attempted to receive it. A cursory glance showed that look he so hated claiming Tetsu's face. Irritation only increased the pain and he shrugged out of the chief's hold.

"Is it the things the Dan said, Aomine-kun?"

"I just don't need this bullshit right now." His head fell into his hands and he massaged his forehead. "I don't need Akashi Seijuurou and Hyuuga Junpei loosing the guillotine this soon."

"Is that it," the chief asked.

He shot a glare to Nebuya. "Not like you've ever been hunted like a fucking animal. You're not a…" He stopped himself. _Neutral_ would not cross his lips.

"Aomine, you're a stellar hunter and a seasoned warrior. You have any idea how many men in our outfits would shit themselves or go insane with as many times as you've been targeted by the Shadow? You've made a name for yourself as a man not to be fucked with. And Akashi Seijuurou and Hyuuga Junpei will learn the same lesson."

He tried to receive the optimism but his resistance translated and the chief resigned with a sigh.

"I know exactly what you need." Though skeptical, he waited. "Let's hit the mat. You could stand to pack on some more muscle."

Exercise was always a welcome distraction. But when the stakes were this high, he couldn't afford to be lax. He declined with a grunt. Nebuya persisted, as the brute always had, and elbowed him in the ribs. Hitting the burn. A new wave of pain assaulted him and he recoiled violently with a wail.

Tetsu sprung up and hurried to his side. He clutched the pulsing wound and bit his lip, pleading for the ache to subside. Nebuya remained distanced and apprehensive.

"Holy shit, Aomine. What'd I do?"

"Nothing," was his immediate reply as his body tightened. He resisted the comfort of the futons they'd been sitting on.

Slowly he inclined and lifted his palm from the heat of the wound. His breath was uneven and quick.

"I hardly touched you."

"Just tender. Slept on it wrong."

"No, that's something else entirely. Let me see." Without delay and ignoring Tetsu's protests, the bigger man wrenched his shirt up. "What the hell."

He mustered the strength to cope with the pain and slapped the man's brick-like hand. "It was an accident."

"Like hell it was." The chief rose swiftly and tugged him by the arm. "You need to see the doctors right away."

Dread propelled him to his feet and he disentangled the grip. "No." He yanked Nebuya by the collar and affixed a resolute stare, keeping his voice quiet. "This does not leave the barracks. Don't force me to come up with a clever way to embarrass you. Just keep your mouth shut and let me deal with this on my own." To reinforce his point, he jerked the man's collar. "You understand?"

"Whoa, easy with the temper. Just sit down a second."

For once he followed the chief's advice and sunk slowly onto the platform. His pride was nearing its limit and he scooted to the plush futon where he lay back. A wave of pain ravaged without origin and he rolled onto his uninjured side. The display disconcerted Nebuya as the man stammered for the right words.

Grief washed over him as the incendiary ache became unbearable and he withstood the moisture stinging his eyes. "Go find Satsuki."

Nebuya didn't linger and he waited until the progressive thumping of boots faded before giving into the anguish suddenly consuming him. His body shuddered and tears leaked.

Tetsu settled beside his head and searched for his hand, which he allowed to be grasped. The squeeze was comforting but did nothing to allay the unwanted feeling racing through him. The shadow's voice was calm as it assured him everything was okay. But the words were uncertain and he didn't need to see Tetsu's face to know it was contorted with alarm.

"What the hell's wrong with me, Tetsu?" Weakness claimed his tone.

But he didn't care. And neither did his partner as a trembling hand stroked his head.

"What is it, Aomine-kun?"

"It hurts," he said. "Everything fucking hurts."

"The burn is five days old, it's still healing."

The words came quickly. "It's not the burn. Well, it is, but it's not."

Tetsu glided a hand to his face and thumbed away new tears. "The anger."

"Every time. Every time I get pissed it starts tingling. Like someone's poking me with needles. And the more upset I get, the worse the pain." As if to compound his already agitated mental state he had to add emotional instability onto his outstanding resume of insufficient faculties. "Who the fuck feels like this just from being angry?"

The shadow said nothing. Resignation was felt through the grip to his hand.

"I don't know, Aomine-kun. I'm sorry, but I just don't know."


	13. Chapter 13

**Shorter chapter this time. Since I'm eager to reveal the upcoming part, I've decided to buckle down and get XIV posted today also. Expect it within the coming hours! As always, thank you for your interest and patience with my storytelling m(_ _)m**

* * *

:XIII:

Mild tension kept Imayoshi preoccupied as he waited for Aomine to arrive. A mere eight hours remained before the invasion would begin, as he had no intention of submitting. His broadcast acquired more response than he anticipated and he was proud that the people hadn't lost faith in him. Nearly all the available men over the age of twenty-four had been conscripted into the hunter's guild and combat squad conglomerate and were outfitted. Aomine worked quickly, despite the infirmity that incapacitated him for a few hours yesterday afternoon, as detailed by Nebuya Eikichi. The men's efforts had set up a defensive perimeter both north and south and were in the midst of debriefing when Imayoshi sent his messenger to call Aomine to his office.

The diligent patriotism would be rewarded with an even greater task. One that would suit the Ice in the upcoming hours. He needed to ensure his successes went off without a hitch. Everything needed to be timely. Mistakes now deserved nothing short of unmerciful punishment.

A gentle tap to the doors diverted his apprehension and he admitted the man inside.

Aomine motioned to remove his boots but he forgave the breech in manners and insisted the matter was more important than etiquette. With classic indifference, the man entered and sat opposite him at the tea-table.

"Something wrong?"

For a moment he wondered if perhaps he wore an unpleasant look. "I'm reassigning you."

Betrayal held Aomine's face. "Look if this is about—"

"Quiet." Delivered like a whip, his nephew stiffened to attention. "I have an even greater assignment for you. One far more critical than leading the battle."

"I'm listening." The impatience was grating, as always, but understanding that the man had been suffering an emotional crisis allowed him to overlook it.

"We need to turn this war to our advantage before it starts. We cannot survive an attack on two fronts. Which is why you're going to bench one of them." Aomine cocked a brow and he liked that he maintained the edge of suspense. "You're to assassinate Kaizer Hyuuga Junpei."

A tardy reply came.

"Think back to the Wolf Pack Pact of 1990. Between the three of us—the Lord, Kaizer, and myself—we are not allowed to attack each other without provoking retaliation. Say, if I attack Hyuuga, he's benched from returning fire, and Akashi acts in his place." Aomine nodded. "That is something we need to act on right now. Eliminating the Lightning allows us to deal with only one offender and I prefer the Fire."

"It's a natural disadvantage."

If it were any other moment, Imayoshi might be proud that his nephew had been paying attention all those years ago in the Academy. "Yes, but the Lightning is a far more aggressive threat. The weather plays into their advantage and with the recent climate change, I cannot afford that. Remember, they hail during the rainy season." A thoughtful look crossed Aomine's face too quickly for him to question it, so he continued. "Winter's coming soon, which will allow us the upper hand. But Aomine, Hyuuga must die first."

"I don't know." Another prolonged response.

"Do you doubt yourself?"

"Of course not." The strength of the declaration quickly deflated. "It's just… What makes you think I'm capable? I'm not even… _potent_ enough to handle something like this."

He hadn't expected this and it disappointed him. Since when had Aomine refused him? Where was the confidence, the ego, the energy? If this was the work of Kagami Taiga, then he could be considered impressed. Nothing had ever rankled Aomine enough to send him in a downward spiral of listless self-deprecation. Frankly the sight was disgusting.

So he decided to do something about it.

He reached across the table and lifted the man's chin. "Aomine, you are of the Ice. Always have been, always will be. You are more than capable of carrying out your duties without additional support." The flash of content pleased him and he went on to say, on a more serious and convincing note, "Your nation needs you to do this. And I know you won't let me down."

A faint smile crooked Aomine's mouth and he relaxed as emotional control lifted the overwhelming veil of glum. Assurance was sealed with a slow breath and his nephew sat up straight.

"What's the plan?" 

— 

Kagami plunged through the corridors of the palace with aggravated resolution. The invasion was due to start in eight hours and he was suddenly needed in Akashi's office? This close to wartime meant nothing good would come from the summons. And he'd had it with his brother's micromanaging. Nothing had been applicable for him without first consulting Akashi. Not his tutoring, not his emancipation, not even his own hobbies. And now his brother was asking for an audience, on the precipice of war, when the last words shared between them had been less than friendly?

He was going to be removed from his station.

Anger lengthened his gait and he was soon upon the doublewide doors.

Without dignity, he violently threw them open.

"You slack the leash and then yank it back when I take advantage of the privilege. It is your personal fucking mission to piss me off?"

Akashi leveled a plain stare and he closed the distance to the desk. He leaned into his brother's space and stared into those fiery eyes.

"Is it yours? Those doors just destroyed father's portrait and what was once your mother's vase."

If Akashi was looking to distract him, it wouldn't work. Not when Kagami was all bite and no bark. He gripped the lip of the desk and tried again, "What could I have possibly done to you this time? I already told you, I'm not sitting this out."

"And I don't expect you to." Uncharacteristic annoyance weighed the tone and Akashi pushed a finger into his chest. "Do you mind? I'm claustrophobic."

Like hell. But he receded fractionally. "Then what the hell do you want?"

"I'm reassigning you."

Heat swelled within and a wild blaze fringed his exposed skin. "You little son of a bitch, I just said—"

"The Kaizer is in jeopardy."

The words hit home and the flames evaporated. Akashi took advantage of his shock to explain.

"Imayoshi knew about you attacking Aomine somehow. And you know why that is a problem." He mechanically nodded. "Well he tried passing that off as a viable excuse to compel Hyuuga and I into a confrontation. Because of you."

"That's ridiculous. Aomine is a Neutral, he doesn't have a nationality."

A strange look passed across his brother's face but Akashi continued before he could question it.

"Regardless of Aomine's origins, Imayoshi is preparing for battle. Hyuuga is at risk for foul play and I need you at the fort immediately to protect him."

Something was off. The alarm and apprehension he was feeling was disconcerting. If Imayoshi succeeded in killing the Kaizer, it would plunge the Apparition world into immeasurable turmoil and discord. More than just eliminating a threat, the Dan would risk uncensored aggression from not just the Lightning, but their allies. The Fire and Shadow. What else could Hyuuga's murder serve?

Urgency chased the thought away and he hurried to the door. "On my way."


	14. Chapter 14

:XIV:

Approaching the fortification proved easier than Aomine had thought. Weaving through the Russian wilderness snuggling the outpost, he abandoned his horse and crept to the edge of the forest. Petulant thunderclouds loomed across the noontime sky and a fleeting energy kept him alerted to nearby movement as he neared the southwest wall of the structure. Many like it remained along the Sino-Russian borderline, built centuries ago when the Ice had been more hostile after the Fire's aggression successfully caged them into a more confined space. Built from nearby stones, it resembled a towering trapezoid, wide at the bottom and narrow on top, with carved windows protected by steel shutters. Completely impenetrable from outside attack and provided with a supple view of the valley below.

Patrol units were stationed at tight intervals and he surveyed their pattern to determine the most effective entry point. Sneaking through the thicket, he found an attractive bullseye window whose shutter remained ajar. He waited for the appointed security to drift out of earshot before he trotted to the portal and climbed through.

Darkness cloaked the hallway and he recalled his destination was on the top floor. He skulked through the silent stretch following a carpet runner to the mouth of the stairwell seventy-five feet away. Strangely enough, he hadn't heard voices and wondered if the men had been dismissed from the premises. If so, he couldn't fathom why. But he didn't over think it and climbed the steps two at a time.

No movement reached him from the second floor either and he continued up to the fourth floor. The lack of attendants was starting to bother him. To soothe his restlessness, he hunkered behind a stack of crates and listened. Moments passed before he assured himself that the fort must have been emptied, the men readying for battle. He rose and skated the network of corridors, drawing ever closer to the Kaizer's chamber. He turned left and spotted the doublewide doors.

—

Kagami walked the carpet runners of the fort, arriving in record time. He regretted pressuring his elk so hard and reminded himself to treat the creature to an extra serving of grain later. The head of the guard told him upon arrival that most of the officers in the fort had been dismissed to prepare for the signal to strike. In less than four hours, the Apparition world would pay witness to yet another international conflict. He lamented forfeiting his position but assured himself that securing the Kaizer was much more important.

The occasional attendant passed between rooms as he ascended to the fourth level. Threading the linear passageway knotted a thick ball of tension in his stomach. He hadn't been daft enough to ignore the enormous responsibility this detail required. With its success, he would prove once and for all to his brother that he was completely competent outside of the man's omnipresent watch.

—

One of the doors was cracked and Aomine heard faint voices.

His heart panged but he edged closer to intercept the discourse.

"You really think this will solve everything?" Kaizer Hyuuga said in English.

Aomine gripped his knife and scooted further. The voice was strained as if the man had been afflicted. From what, he could only hazard to guess. Despite the language barrier, he committed his ears to hear all.

"You leaked classified information." A new voice, tight and nasally. "And once you're gone, we'll find the leak that informed you. Then the truth will die with both of you."

"So that's what this is really about?" The words were squeezed through gritted teeth. "More than this bullshit war?"

"This is how it must be." A pause. Then a muttered German phrase.

The guttural scream of the Kaizer charged Aomine's body. He rammed the doors open and froze. Hyuuga's body, suspended inches above a scarlet stain blossoming on the rug, was impaled with a thick black skewer through the chest. Vines slithered from the neck and arms and the man's body crumpled in a boneless heap. A figure loomed over the Kaizer's form and the familiar shadows shrunk out of sight. The owner of the second voice he'd identified.

His gaze darted between the attacker and Hyuuga. He stiffened when the stranger turned to him. Short dark hair topped a head with a blunt nose and muted eyes. A tight leather uniform hugged a lofty body. The menacing aura suppressed his movement and all he could do was speak.

"What did you do?"

"Simply tip the tide in your favor." And the man retracted into the darkness.

—

A distant scream resonated along the walls and Kagami recoiled. Heart hammering, he unsheathed the _kodachi_ and sucked a breath. Gearing his legs forward, he hustled around two corners. As he approached the threshold of the approaching hallway he slowed and listened.

Nothing.

He stepped onto the runner and spotted the awkwardly cracked doors of the Kaizer's chamber. A figure crossed the room. Forgetting caution, he advanced.

—

A surge of panic swept over Aomine and he rushed to the body, hopeful to see the faint flicker of life. Dropping the knife, he grabbed the man's shoulders and jostled feverishly. His pretty words were met with ghostly silence and the pained yellow-green eyes that stared lifelessly back at him speared him deep. He raked shaky hands through his hair and searched for the knife. He couldn't look away.

He couldn't even close those scornful eyes that condemned him. He rolled to his feet and for the first time in his life, he was petrified. Not even responsible for the man's murder and suddenly he felt like the wrongly accused being paraded before the firing squad. Lungs fervently spent air and he whipped to the door.

Kagami Taiga stopped his retreat.

—

Kagami locked eyes with Aomine. Whatever emotion those obscure depths were trying to communicate were deflected as he looked past the Neutral to the body lying disgracefully over a patch of blood. He didn't need to get close to know who it was. The striking blonde hair and rimless glasses were unmistakable.

"Kagami, no." Aomine's voice wobbled. "I didn't do this. Just listen to me for a minute."

"So this is what you are, huh?"

Flames licked his arms and fingers. Defensive hands came up as he stepped forward.

"Kagami, stop. Believe me, this wasn't me."

"Your blade, Aomine," he yelled.

Betrayal fueled the heat to consume his shoulders and neck, his limbs bathed in fire. Aomine lobbed the weapon aside and retreated another step. The distress in the man's eyes translated more to his benefit.

"I never should have trusted you."

He lunged and sent a stream of flames. The shot missed as the man scrambled back, toppling over the Kaizer's body. Another missile was fired and the Neutral rolled to evade it. He closed in while Aomine recovered and tackled the man to the carpet. The use of inertia allowed Aomine to propel him off. As he rose, he found his quarry hustling through the portal and he hurried to maintain pursuit.

Suddenly the absence of people within the fort was appreciated. He couldn't afford to be disrupted. They charged down the runners. Aomine hooked corners with impressive ease and managed to gain necessary distance. But the straightaway expanses allowed him to close the gap until the next turn. He needed to corner Aomine and quickly. Which would be a problem. Neither was familiar with the fort's layout and the chances of getting lost were great. Whether that would play to Kagami's advantage was unclear.

Several times Aomine called back to him. Telling him to stop. To listen to him. To _trust_ him. And he ignored it all. He conserved his energy for the critical task ahead.

Catching and killing Aomine Daiki.

—

Aomine's thighs ached as he raced the passageways back the way he'd came. Stupid of him to retrace his steps, he knew. But his heart ran wild with fear and his legs simply carried him along. He found the flight of stairs and threw himself down onto the landing. The impact jarred his knees but he swiftly descended to the third floor. Kagami copied the movement and kept chase.

"Kagami, just listen to me. Please."

His voice was hoarse with frustration as all his pleas were repelled without consideration. His agility worked to his favor when turning corners but Kagami's capacity to sprint surprised him. Aomine was running out of both options and energy. He had to lose the prince somehow and find his way out without arousing the patrol. He cut left.

A few bounds down the passageway and a punch of heat contacted his calf. He stumbled as pain shuddered up his leg. Kagami's footfalls grew louder and he raked his mind for a solution. Impulse guided his muscles as the prince's body came close.

He turned to face Kagami.

—

Primal energy fueled Kagami as he spent a narrow shot, hoping to make contact and impede his quarry's escape. It succeeded and he closed the distance. He readied his arm and cocked it back.

He let fly a punch as Aomine turned.

The man parried his arm and a hand glided over his face. Pushing down as one of his legs was swept out, Aomine hammered a blow to his chest. The fluid motion sent him crashing to the ground.

The air left him and he cursed his ineffective memory. How could he forget that the Neutral employed random movements in combat? The footsteps of his quarry were quickly fading and he heaved himself from the floor with effort.

Struggling to reclaim his breath, he maintained pursuit.

—

Aomine backtracked and descended the stairs to the second level. Kagami would be on his heels again soon and whatever ground he could put between them was valuable. He followed familiar passageways. Distant thumping of feet could be heard and the sustained distance eased his trepidation.

He turned left and collided hard with someone. He reeled at the impact and braced himself on the wall. A smaller man massaged an assaulted face and recovered spilled paperwork. The spewed apologies triggered his memory and he was soon looking into the timid eyes of Sakurai Ryou.

Words failed to come to him.

"Aomine-san, what're you doing here?" Eyes fell from his face to his clothes and grew wide. "You're covered in blood."

He took a moment to confirm the revelation. Hyuuga's blood splotched his pants and shirt. It was then that a thought occurred to him. There he stood, within the Lightning territory—an enemy in a guarded fort—and the little man was more concerned the he had blood on his clothes. Where was the retaliation?

He found the man's softened gaze and stepped back cautiously.

"Aomine," Kagami shouted fifty feet away.

His muscles came alive with the heat of the chase and he took off again.

—

Sheer determination propelled him onward as his lungs strained to consume enough air. As he neared the Kaizer's secretary, the little man barred his advance. He didn't regret nearly knocking the man to the floor. That Sakurai managed to withstand his force alone was astounding. He wove around the secretary and ignored the protests.

"Aomine murdered Hyuuga," he called back. "Contact Akashi."

The unfamiliar wilderness made negotiating surfaced veins of tree roots and thick vines of forest overgrowth difficult. Dispersed boulders and rubble taxed his aching calves unmercifully. Aomine was experiencing similar difficulties as Kagami resorted to using projectiles to cut off sudden avenues of escape. The blow he landed to the Neutral's leg was hampering stamina and all Kagami had to do was outlast Aomine. The man hazarded a look back and lost footing. Failing to notice the sudden drop in elevation, Aomine collapsed to the leafy bed of the forest floor.

He wouldn't fail to intercept again.

Spurring himself on, he dashed and dove for the man.

—

Aomine cried painfully as he and Kagami crashed to the ground. Strong thighs pinched his waist as the prince pinned him down. He shot his arms out to deflect a cocking arm but he reacted too slowly. Knuckles pounded his jaw once, then twice.

"You miserable son of a bitch," Kagami yelled.

A fist cuffed his burn and he screamed, withdrawing for distance. The same hand clutched his throat and his own zoomed to remove it. Kagami's fingers dug in and he fought for words.

"Fuck, Kagami. Stop."

The _kodachi_ was brought into view, its sharpened edge brought close. Terror froze him and pain fired in all directions within. The eyes that glared back at him held no remorse and he squeezed Kagami's wrist in vain to cease. He barely recognized the faint drops of rain now kissing his face as he watched the blade adjust above his heart.

He mustered what little energy he had left to dislodging Kagami. His nails pierced slick flesh and panic consumed him. A loud roar filled his ears and his vision went white, bleaching out the image of Kagami driving his armed hand down.

—

Kagami barely registered the growling thunder overhead. Grip tight on the hilt, he drove down. Then a flash of bluish-white. A wave of pain paralyzed him.

It lasted only a moment.

Then he folded over and his world faded out.

* * *

**In case there is a miscommunication or you wanted to see the move Aomine used against Kagami: watch?v=YYP_OoWtAjc Fast forward to 5:24.**


	15. Chapter 15

**As always, thank you for the love. I'd be lying if I said adding more to the story wasn't a little nerve-wracking. Still, that you've been sticking with me this long says I'm doing something right. I hope you enjoy this installment. m(_ _)m**

* * *

:XV:

Morning hit Kuroko with a sudden burst. No sound had penetrated the barracks where he'd waited for Aomine's return the night before, as ordered by the Dan. Strange, he thought, that he was irrevocably sentenced to remain at his partner's side yet was detained indefinitely for an undisclosed reason. Yesterday afternoon a messenger necessitated Aomine's presence with Imayoshi and as Kuroko followed, the woman stopped and redirected him to wait in the barracks. When he questioned the change in assignment, the woman simply reiterated her message and escorted him to the guild. Nothing about the summons felt innocent and he cursed his intrinsic loyalty that he remained. Some time into the night he'd lost to fatigue and fell asleep.

Now he regretted his compliance.

He skated the expanse of the temple promenades with haste. Abruptly woken by the hustling of hunters through the quarters, he'd realized his mistake. Aomine was nowhere within the guild. The many attendants and nurses he'd passed on his way out hadn't seen the man either. It was rare for his partner to rise any earlier than nine AM. And that was without his interference.

The voices of the people as he crossed one strip of polished wood after another accelerated his fear that something dreadful may have befallen Aomine. Entering the pavilion only worsened the feeling. Cries, both joyous and condemning, told him that the Fire had begun the attack little after midnight. The prospect of war hadn't surprised him. He knew Imayoshi wouldn't bow down before Akashi Seijuurou and Hyuuga Junpei. That same arrogance was what dismantled the Ice's military sixteen years ago. Aomine's timely disappearance, however, was alarming and he was appalled that none of the temple folk seemed to pay it any mind.

He tuned out the chittering ambiance and entered the catwalk of the third temple. And prayed to see that long dark body splayed over the sheets in undignified comfort.

A groan of thunder drew his eyes to the murky clouds frozen over the temple. A series of birds flocked through the cool air, skirting sudden breezes in retreat of the oncoming deluge. The scent of wet rock wafted through the open expanse, disturbing the already restless committee pacing the pavilion behind him. A purple flicker through the dreary gray caught his attention and a loud pitch of thunder slammed the air. Kuroko flinched.

A thick stream of whitish-purple lightning screwed down and punched the third temple roof. Distant splintering of wood and frantic screams followed the assault and spurred him on. Racing to the doors, he visualized the layout of the temple and a sickening feeling cinched his gut.

Aomine's room was in the stricken quadrant.

He slithered through the retreating throng, grateful to his incorporeal presence as he negotiated packed hallways. The acrid stench of roasting wood reached him as he cleared the mass and searched the afflicted hall. The bolt had torn through two levels and another growl of thunder threatened a second strike that Kuroko hoped would not come. Stepping around and over collapsed beams and fragments of the infrastructure he risked calling for Aomine. By some miracle the heat produced little fire to be concerned about and he proceeded without hesitation.

No reply.

Another raucous peal from the sky followed him as he turned a mutilated corner exposed to the valley forest and a strong gust of wind rattled loosened floor panels. He sucked a steeling breath and leapt across the injured area and jogged to the next corner.

He heard the deep guttural barking of Nigou and turned. Beams from both assaulted tiers of the temple had ripped through the walls and dispersed debris along the passageway. Chunks obstructed his view further down but he spotted the malamute's head bobbing as it leapt and howled. Kuroko wound through the clutter and felt a draft spilling from Aomine's chamber through cracks in the wall. Nigou spun viciously and jumped at the door. He did nothing to calm to animal and tested the portal himself. It didn't give. Considerate of the damage, he appraised the condition and found it. One of the collapsed beams collided with the frame and crippled the doors, cracking one nearly all the way through at the top. He dared a peek through the gap but a silhouette of ruin was all he could identify. Taking a cautionary step back, signaling the dog to desist, he reared his leg back and connected with the wood. The structure moaned obstinately and the door splintered an inch. Swallowing a few breaths, he put more distance between himself and the portal and charged. When his foot connected this time, the scar widened and the blockade buckled under the pressure. He shielded his face from the exhaust of dust and crawled over the toppled wall.

He called for Aomine again. Nigou bounded across the rubble and hurried into the chamber. The dog yipped and barked as it neared what was once Aomine's bed, its frame shattered and mattress laden with timber and roof tiles. He followed and pushed the malamute away as he cleared planks of frayed wood.

Aomine lay beneath sputtering for a clear breath. Pain exuded from his tense figure and coils of electricity thinned into nothing.

He scooped up the man's head and shook. "Aomine-kun, what happened?"

Dust collecting over a head wound dyed red and Kuroko freed the hem of his shirt and blotted the area. Nigou mouthed concern from the edge of the wreckage and paced with a similar apprehension coursing through him as he anxiously waited for a response.

His partner's chest lurched with a sharp inhale and dark eyes shot open. One powerful hand grasped his arm and he slid to connect their hands.

"Aomine-kun, what happened?"

Stunned eyes found him. Then squeezed shut with a spell of tormented groaning.

"Kagami…" The admission was hushed and lamenting.

A look of pure hurt flashed his partner's tightened features. Pressure loosened around his hand and breathing slowed to a resting minimum. Kuroko schooled his emotions. Nothing from his partner's appearance persuaded him to believe death was near. Though cursory upon approach, no blood spotted the floors and no gashes through the clothes indicated attack with intent to kill. Yet Aomine voiced the prince's name. As the man fell into repose, he inspected for burns. None. No singed fabric or melted skin.

What the hell happened?

—

Kagami's body vibrated with a muscle-stretching ache. From head to toe, the sensation was uncomfortable and he turned on the adequate cushion where he lay to find comfort. The agitation persisted and he groaned. The sickly sweet smell of disinfectant invaded his nostrils and he cracked his eyes open. Bleary whiteness and a blob of color washed into his vision. Slowly he calculated his bearings and shot upright.

He squished his palms into his eyes as a timid voice beside him spoke and he whipped around.

Sakurai Ryou was planted in a chair, a notepad and several folders stacked on his lap.

The little man continued to speak but he tuned it out, taking in his surroundings. Bleach-white walls lined the long room and three cots filed in succession beside his, all empty. A cart of supplies was parked beside a medicine cabinet through which he could see many glass bottles of questionable substance. Identical pairs of dressers were set on either side of the doorway. Bearing with the body-wide ache, he leaned and peered out the window positioned between his and the neighboring cot. Thunderclouds congealed over the forested stretch of valley and he followed the stream cutting through the verdant sea to distant plumes of black smoke reaching skyward. Movement drew his eyes lower where he identified the very same head of the guard who had admitted him to see Hyuuga.

He was back in the fort.

Where was Aomine?

He wrenched the covers off and threw himself off the cot. "Where is he?"

The volume shook the secretary but the man stood regardless. "Where's who?"

If Sakurai was looking to mind play games, he wasn't interested. "Aomine Daiki."

"We don't know where he is. When we found you, he was already gone."

Found him? What the hell was this?

The secretary intercepted his confusion and gingerly laid a hand over his arm. But he was in no mood and shrugged away the gesture.

"What do you mean 'already gone?'"

Sakurai's brows knit and large eyes narrowed. "Kagami-san, do you not remember what happened?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Aomine snuck in here and killed Hyuuga. I caught him, gave chase outside, and captured him. Where the hell is he?"

"I told you, he was already gone." The man's apologetic tone was getting annoying. "I remember Aomine-san coming here and I sent a search party to follow after I sent word to Akashi-san, as you had asked. But Kagami-san, you were all alone out there."

Frustration was setting in and he needed to calm down if he had any hope of recovering the missing fragments of his memory. He rounded the aluminum frame of the cot and sunk onto the cushion beside the chair. Scrubbing his hands through his hair, he tipped his gaze to the secretary.

"I chased Aomine out into the woods. I intercepted him. Yet he's suddenly gone."

"Yes. You were lying on your stomach when we found you and you were unresponsive."

Did that motherfucker knock him unconscious?

He contained the rising anger and asked that Sakurai inform him of the developments since his encounter with Aomine.

"Kaizer Hyuuga's body was recovered and should be arriving at Casimir Palace in a few hours for processing. The people are furious but cannot retaliate. The Pact forbids them, so they wait behind the fence. They cry for Akashi-san to dismember the temple and expel Imayoshi-san. As of now, the Fire has maintained their advance since little after midnight but according to the last report I received, their forces have only managed to subdue a mere seventeen percent of the southern villages."

Kagami snorted. This was perfect. The entire plan, orchestrated with carful contrivance, had fallen apart practically overnight and not only could he not get to the fort fast enough to make a difference, but he couldn't even recall how he miraculously wound up in the infirmary without having succeeded in either of his endeavors. He couldn't possibly face his brother now.

To hell with composure.

He rose from the bedding and marched to the dresser. He heedlessly purged the contents, tossing aside anything unfamiliar. Sakurai approached as he rooted and he ignored the polite attempts at interruption. The secretary advised him to stop and that he wasn't allowed to leave. Impatience and aggravation made for a potent cocktail to his already elevated tone. He parried the little man's desisting swipes that tried to distract him from redressing. The hospital gown was removed and chucked and the secretary used the moment to seize his shirt.

"Give it back."

"I told you, you cannot leave."

He admired the little ground hog's bravery. But he'd force the interloper to face his own shadow, return his shirt, and discharge him. A long stride cast his towering figure across the smaller man and he reached for the garment. Sakurai's evasion and quick transfer was unprecedented and Kagami cursed his hampered reflexes. His frustration was reaching climactic levels as he argued with the secretary to relinquish the shirt and back down.

A new nasally voice interrupted. "What's with all the commotion?"

Kagami turned to the speaker. He recognized the man instantly. Susa Yoshinori, the head security chief of the Czar, Kaizer, and Akashi. The man was about his size and stature with dark hair and eyes, creamy brown skin, and a serious face. Few times in the past had they crossed paths. And fewer times had they actually spoken. The man's clandestine nature had always left a questionable impression that led Kagami to suspect the interloper was up to no good. There was something to be said for instincts and when in the presence of this man, he heeded them. Yet Susa had also proved to be extremely competent and acutely aware of Apparition hierarchy.

And Kagami planned to abuse it.

"Good, someone reasonable," he said. "Get rid of this little brat and discharge me. I need to get to the castle."

He chanced an opportunity to snatch the shirt but Sakurai tucked it out of reach.

"No can do, prince."

He leveled a challenging stare on those unreadable eyes. Familiar, yet foreign. Silently, he wondered if this was a learned skill or an inherent trait of the Shadow. "And why not?" He hoped leveraging rank would release him from the fort. "You know who I am and you know I hilariously outrank you."

No emotion betrayed the man's face. "Yet I answer to someone who, as you say, _hilariously_ outranks you."

If the shadow was trying to be funny, he wasn't laughing. The jab only strengthened his temper and he stepped close. "And what the hell does that mean?"

Susa smirked and stood aplomb. "Lord Akashi has decreed that you're to remain within the physical premises of the fort until otherwise directed. And that if you're to resist, I'm authorized to use the necessary force to detain you."

"You don't scare me."

A sinister glint flashed across black orbs and animated limbs rose from Susa's shadow. Kagami stepped back and growled. The same trick that little runt Kuroko used against him in the holding cells. The wispy black lengths floated as if on a wind current around the man's legs.

"No, but these might. So, for your own protection, I advise you make yourself comfortable."

He refused to admit defeat, so he scoffed and said, "Just get out, spook."

The vines sucked into the security chief's shadow and the man left with a grin that Kagami wanted to slap off.

Tension soothed as he ventilated his anger through deep breaths. Puffs of weak flame disguised each exhale until he felt he was rational enough to comply without inviting whatever punishment Susa could fabricate with those disgusting tendrils. Assuredly calm, he turned to the secretary, who had returned to the chair, and palmed his neck.

"Sorry about the intimidating," he fought through the embarrassment of apology, "and y'know, raising my voice and all."

Sakurai shook his head and forgave him quickly. Experience reminded him that insisting responsibility would unleash an apologetic blue streak. And he didn't want that. So he stomached the reprieve and reached for the gown. Not that he needed the garb but it would do well to thwart the conditioned chill teasing his exposed skin. He wasn't sure who disrobed him but he was thankful they left his underwear intact. The shame of revealing all to the secretary would have been insurmountable.

"Wait." He looked to the secretary and the shirt fisted in man's cocked arm. "I guess being comfortable doesn't break the rules."

"You never know with Akashi."

Sakurai returned a sheepish look and he caught the airborne shirt. "Your pants are in the bottom drawer, along with your socks and boots."

Kagami jumped into the familiar coziness of his cargos and hobbled one foot after another to slip into his socks. He neglected the admonishment to sit down from Sakurai and the subsequent suppressed snickering as he repeated the pitiful balancing act to lace his boots. While stooping, he noticed the marred skin of his back. He bolted upright and twisted to reveal the sight in the mirror beside the dresser. Fright overtook him.

"What the fuck is this?"

The exclamation startled Sakurai and the papers spilled to the floor. "That's a Lichtenberg figure," the man stammered out.

Kagami adjusted the mirror to better capture the image. From the top of his shoulders a tree of electricity coiled down the expanse of his back, off-center from his spine. Tendrils splintered and the length of the mark ended just below the waist of his pants. Dyed red and tender to the touch, the mark mapped his entire back.

"And you didn't say anything earlier?" He probably allowed too much volume, judging from how Sakurai recoiled. "What the hell is a Lichtenberg figure, Sakurai?" He didn't bother with respectful address since the secretary overlooked telling him about the horrendous scar.

"It happens when someone or something is struck by lightning. It doesn't appear in all cases, though, and occurrences on the back have been known to happen."

The words sank in and Kagami gripped the mould of the mirror. Was that why his memory failed to come back? The weather the last few weeks had been poor, increasing the likelihood of thunderstorms with each passing day. Yet none had come. Apparently, not until yesterday.

"Guess that explains the soreness."

"You should consider yourself blessed. Not many people survive a lightning strike."

He allowed bitterness to grip his words. "I'll let you know when your sentiment matters."

He dropped his forehead to the mirror and sunk his eyes in reflection.

Damn his luck. Exceeding Akashi's expectations was what he hoped to achieve from his venture this far north. Then he stumbled across Aomine over the Kaizer's corpse and all hope of their continued association diminished. Betrayal and disappointment provoked him to pursue and he hadn't expected himself to react as he had. Nor had he expected to encounter the Neutral this far from the temple. Whatever transpired after that is a blur.

Sakurai told him that the sentries who found him reported that he was alone. He'd been struck by lightning as well. Which, strangely, wasn't what mattered.

Optimism fluttered in his stomach.

Aomine was still out there.

They weren't done yet.


	16. Chapter 16

:XVI:

Delivering Aomine to the infirmary was tiring. Many times Kuroko had been obligated to haul the man from one place to another within the temple, usually because an inebriated slur led to an unnecessary argument and Momoi hadn't the ability to transfer one hundred and eighty pounds of man for long. Neither did he, he'd reminded himself, but he rolled the larger man onto his back and lumbered to the ward. His muscles didn't appreciate the effort and were rebelling with exhaustion as he strode across the pentagonal deck.

He wasn't certain where he was headed. But he remembered the one thing Aomine managed before relapsing into unconsciousness.

_Kagami…_

A foreboding feeling grabbed hold of him. Not knowing where his partner had been dispatched was concerning and the lack of communication only worsened it. To have finally found the man, only to hear a single word, uttered with dismay, told him nothing good had happened. But it also told him that Aomine and Kagami met again and the circumstances had been less than friendly. The nature of their competition, disguised by underlying physical attraction, had done little to arouse hostility from Kuroko. He had reasoned that if the two really wished to do harm, they would not invite such copious foreplay. Years ago, Kuroko would have more closely mitigated but he trusted Aomine's judgment. The man had proven that Kagami was well within his range of capability.

But yet again he'd placed too much confidence in his partner.

And once again, the man was wounded.

He needed to find Kagami. And quickly.

A gathering on the deck attracted his attention. From the center, standing on a soap box, screeched a herald. Though normally the source of most temple gossip, as well as a social hindrance, heralds were also sources of by-the-hour developments. Conflicted, Kuroko neared the assembly and tuned his ears to the announcement.

"…and I'm told that as of this morning, the Lightning has been officially withdrawn from the war. Kaizer Hyuuga Junpei's body was found and the one responsible for the murder, as reported by witnesses, was our very own Aomine Daiki."

Kuroko's eyes shot wide and his body tightened.

What did the man just say?

Aomine assassinated Hyuuga?

He entered the circle and eased closer. The revelation distracted the congregation to his advance and he found a supple gap between a priest and a mother with her child where he could intercept every word. The herald continued on, unabashed by the declarations.

—

Regretfully, not much else the man dictated merited his presence. It was evident that the temple had yet to be embroiled in the onslaught. He watched with predatory stillness as the herald orated. Around him he heard mixed reactions. Those in abundance irritated him. For one hundred years, the people of the temple shunned Aomine's existence and involvement in politics as well as his improvement to the guild system. Hardly recognizing how much the man had actually provided for the temple, given his inadequacies. Only now that the man had achieved an attention-worthy feat was he being appreciated. And for all the wrong reasons. He despised their gullibility. Willing to believe rumor of Neutrality, infidelity, lechery, and now regicide. All by word-of-mouth. The voices who abhorred Aomine's supposed actions did not settle well with him either. But he reined his composure and monitored the man as the speech wound down.

Locating Kagami may not have to wait long.

Since this man seemed to have insight into the incident, perhaps Kuroko could arrest the prince's whereabouts.

Whether clemency would be issued, however, was another matter entirely.

He wove through the dispersing attendance, eyes trained on the retreating herald.

His quarry was nearing the catwalk of the first temple.

He shouldered a passerby and muttered apology.

A hand grasped his arm. "Tetsu-kun."

He turned to find Momoi Satsuki. Consternation masked her face and a rock sunk into his stomach. To keep an eye on his prey, he maneuvered the woman in front of him. While he wanted to award her his undivided attention, he needed to accost that man before his lead disappeared.

"Momoi-san, don't believe him."

She let out an exasperated sigh and raked a hand through long hair. "Dai-chan wouldn't do this. Why would that man lie?"

Over her head he spotted the herald making his way across the catwalk. "Something has happened," he said, intending to propel the conversation.

"What," she trailed off and followed his stare. "What are you going to do?"

He liked that no alarm claimed her voice. The respondent twinkle of her eyes told him she was eager and he decided to welcome the extra hand. He gestured and they approached the walkway. To cover lost ground, he lengthened his stride. Momoi likewise picked up her pace. When they attained a distance of forty feet, they slowed and maintained the tail. Few people cluttered the passage.

"You said something has already happened," she said discreetly and threaded her arm around his.

Her ingenuity continued to surprise him. Following the man may take a while and the more inconspicuous, the better chance of success. This wasn't the time to indulge his romanticism, he knew, yet few moments had ever awarded them this degree of unguarded closeness. And Momoi deserved reciprocation from the many times he'd stunted her advances. He snaked down her thin arm and found her hand. His eyes never left the herald as he threaded their fingers together.

"Have you heard what befell the third temple?" he asked.

She maintained expert control of her composure as she answered, "I heard it was struck by lightning."

"I went in to search for Aomine-kun." The man veered from the temple doors and continued down a posted walkway. Kuroko thought the choice of avenue questionable. Around all five temples rimmed a posted deck. Perhaps the man's business lay elsewhere. Momoi waited patiently for him to continue once he ascertained the man wasn't aware of their presence. "The bolt tore through the first and second floor and Aomine-kun's room was obliterated."

She squeezed his hand and for a moment they locked eyes. The look he received asked that he explain and he chose his words carefully.

"I suspect he met Kagami-kun again wherever the Dan sent him. Whatever the circumstances, it was ugly."

"Kagami-kun," she said. "The same one who gave Dai-chan his burn?"

He didn't like the edge in her voice, though he had felt similar animosity when Aomine had breathed the prince's name under the duress of pain.

"I need to find him and come to an understanding of what happened. If possible, prevent him from coming after Aomine-kun again until the matter is settled."

"Dai-chan can handle him."

Aomine would have glowed at the declaration. But Kuroko was not.

"No," he breathed and slowed as the herald eased into an empty portion of the walkway. "Something's wrong with Aomine-kun lately. Whatever that is played into effect when Kagami-kun encountered him. That much I am certain of."

Momoi seemed to understand his tacit meaning.

The herald stopped and fussed through the frock he wore. Perfect. The man's guard was down. He quickened his pace and she followed suit. "Our good friend the herald seems to be well-informed." Twenty feet and closing. "Let's see if we can't coerce tomorrow's headline out of him a little early."

"By your lead, sir."

The dreary weather produced adequate resources to restrain the herald, the entire deck bathed in shadows. As he slipped his hand free of Momoi's, the man whirled to his approach. A hand to the mouth quelled rebellion and he pushed the herald against the temple wall. From the thicker mass of darkness hugging the deck, a series of shadows striped across the man's thrashing body and sealed him still. Wild eyes stared back at him and he sensed contempt. Contrary to expectations, obstinate prey was Kuroko's most favored. Easy to predict and even easier to maneuver.

Momoi eased up beside him.

He kept his tone low as he addressed the herald. "That garbage you spewed was a lie."

When he lifted his palm, the man wrenched back. "Don't touch me, you disgusting creature. How dare you approach me like this. Who do you—"

Kuroko struck the herald's jaw without remorse and wrapped his hand around an agape mouth. Drawing the man's eyes to him, he declared his intent. "Who witnessed Aomine-kun killing Hyuuga-san?"

Grip sustaining, he allowed the man to speak around his palm. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He squeezed hard and elicited an angry squeal. He felt Momoi step closer, their shoulders pressed firm. From a sidelong glance he identified a penetrating look. Beneath his hold the herald struggled for freedom. Tightening the fetters silenced the revolt. "So, you won't tell me?"

"The fires of hell couldn't compel me to tell you," came a muffled response. He cringed at the accumulating moisture to his skin but remembered what Izuki had taught him all those years ago. _Weaknesses are the enemy's playground._ Hygiene was to be the least of his worries.

He caught a distinct squint from Momoi. She was onto something, analyzing the herald's remarks with her intuitive perception. Showing the enemy how badly you wanted something was the key to negotiation failures in the political sphere. Which was why he planned to force the herald's hand.

"I already know who it was. I need to know _where_ he is."

Surprise flooded the man's eyes, giving way to skepticism. "You're bluffing."

"I'm quite serious."

"Name him," the man said.

He dove right in. "Kagami Taiga."

Muffled pride boomed from the herald's concealed mouth. "Wrong. Kagami Taiga is stationed in the south."

"He's lying," Momoi barked.

"Nice to see you've decided to open up," he smiled halfheartedly to his captive. "So then, Kagami-kun must be in the north." His temper abated as he realized this weak soul hadn't the ability to disguise his intentions.

The herald shook his head furiously.

"The north it is," she said.

The vehement refusal continued and the man thrashed against the restraints. Kuroko engaged pressure and the movements ceased. Pain swelled through the herald's red and sweat-slickened face. They were close. So he decided to press on and agitate the man into a readable response.

He disregarded the captive and looked to Momoi who stared as if looking through him. Which was the whole idea and he was pleased with their synchronous effort. "If he is in the north, he must be dispersed among the Kaizer's troops. We'll have to contact the War Administrator to verify."

Her thin brows pinched slightly and he translated the message. _No. But almost._

Hyuuga would have been in one of two places yesterday. Casimir Palace or the fort, embedded in the mountain range just beyond the Sino-Russian border. He decided to consult with Momoi and see if it would rattle a response.

"Do you think we'll be able to reach Hayakawa-san at Casimir Palace?" he asked her.

Trained rosy eyes resisted diversion as she shook her head. "Unlikely. Hayakawa-kun would remain close to the detachment."

Which left one alternative.

So he said, "We'll have to try the fort."

A smile tugged the corner of her mouth and he followed her line of sight to see anxious eyes staring back at him. Again the man shook his head but it was too late. Alone, he may have had more difficulty ascertaining the prince's location. Momoi's assistance was invaluable. But for what he planned to do now that the herald had been so indirect, he wished she hadn't tagged along.

"Thank you for your cooperation," he said and finally lowered his hand. Wiping the offensive residue on his thigh, he turned to Momoi. "And you as well, Momoi-san."

"You cheeky bastard," the herald panted. "You think you can get away with harassing me like this? I'll report you to the Dan. You'll be—"

A strip of black wound up, securing the neck and head and effectively covered the querulous mouth. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. Hesitant hands slid up his back and reciprocated. Slipping into the silky tresses of her fine hair, he ducked his head and whispered, "Please don't think badly of me."

The shadows encasing the herald's neck and head gripped and twisted. A thick pop was heard. Momoi flinched against him and he knew there was little he could do to console her. Thankful that she hadn't tried to peer around him, he maneuvered the bound man to the railing of the walkway and dropped the corpse over the side. He loosened his hold and stepped back. No hint of disdain masked her face and the weight in his stomach lifted. Not that she looked delighted either. But to think that she would condemn him for doing what was necessary to protect Aomine would hurt beyond words. Yet there she stood, hand firm around his with confidence exuding from her eyes. Those calm rosy depths were alluring and he hadn't noticed he was leaning in until their foreheads touched and he could see his reflection in her gentle stare.

"Off to the fort you go," she breathed.

"Imayoshi is dangerous, Momoi-san. Whatever he's planning involves Aomine-kun and I need to know what happened at the fort yesterday. Please, tread carefully around the Dan. He may have more resources than we previously thought."

She nodded and squeezed his hand.

He needed to go, though his heart thought otherwise. Their hands slid apart stubbornly, more easily translating their unfulfilled desires than they ever had. The feeling of her tender grip resided as he hoisted himself onto the railing. A glance over his shoulder showed she intended to watch him off properly and he liked that.

Offering her an assuring smile, he scooted himself off the barrier and let gravity take him into the shadows blanketing the earth below.

—

The radio reported as Imayoshi predicted. Public reaction was likewise successfully engineered and he was satisfied with the turnout. Spun the right way, the people of the temple would believe most anything. A naïveté brought about by centuries of isolation and tepid peace. Though Aomine's reputation augmented the morning announcement's veracity. His nephew's performance was the most anticipated piece of news and he couldn't have been more proud. Of course only he knew the truth of Hyuuga's murder. He thought back to his conference with Susa the day of.

"_Aomine Daiki."_

_Susa's skepticism was expected. "Don't force me to start doubting your competence, Imayoshi."_

"_You've the wrong idea. He'll only serve as a martyr, the irritant to finally launch this war in our favor." The subtle cock of the shadow's brow told him to continue. "Aomine is bound by a doctrine that dissuades him from harming those who've yet to harm him. He won't actually kill Hyuuga. That's why I'm enlisting you."_

"_Odd, I must have lost my invitation in the mail."_

"_Don't be cross."_

"_If I understand you correctly, I'm meant to kill Hyuuga and Aomine's to take responsibility for it." Imayoshi nodded and nursed his tea pensively. "Then I have a question for you."_

"_Which would be?"_

"_What am I to do if he spots me?"_

_He chuckled and the shadow cast him an annoyed scowl. "For the last one hundred years, the temple has coasted on the preconception that Aomine is a Neutral being protected by his doting uncle under the pretense of a birth defect. The man makes a living off of killing. No one would think twice to scrutinize that he may actually be telling the truth if he attempts to shift blame onto you, a nameless Shadow assassin." Susa seemed to be following along, so he pressed on. "Imagine the reactions the day after. He'll be so pressured by praise, finally accepted as more than an anathema that the last thing he would consider is to question me. All the man's ever wanted was to be accepted as a part of the temple and now he will be. Only after you've acted and slain Hyuuga."_

_The shadow smirked and swiftly drained his drink. He tabled the cup and cut a look to Imayoshi that pleased him. "Can do, boss."_

"_You're due for patrol at the fort tomorrow. I plan to send Aomine to coincide with battle preparations, within the waning hours. Clear the building, confirm his arrival, then accost Hyuuga."_

"_Y'know, I've been looking for a reasonable excuse to end that wretched fool. Even if he hadn't come into and passed that information along to Akashi, the man still would have had to die. Pity."_

_The words were caustic but spoken true. He refilled both their cups and held his in celebration. "To victory."_

Susa's performance had gone off without a hitch, according to word on the street. Hyuuga was dead and on the way to Casimir Palace for entombment. Good riddance. Since his unprecedented election, unheard of for the monarchal government system, Hyuuga had maintained communication with the Fire, as the previous Kaizer had, and perpetuated the same animosity that kept the Ice from recovering their stolen land. The man's temper alone grated his nerves. Loud and domineering, the Kaizer injected a new strain of violence and intolerance within his people that had begun diluting the obstinate indifference of the Ice. They had actually begun to _fear_ their northern neighbors. They were becoming passive and fickle. But no more.

Hyuuga's demise meant a life-altering course for the Lightning monarchy was in store. And Imayoshi intended to manipulate that as well.

He turned to the grandfather clock ticking methodically and noted the time. Little after ten AM. Susa's itinerary would be finished in another few hours or so. Which gave him ample time to prepare. All that was left was to verify Aomine's return to the temple and meet with Nebuya.

A soft knock pulled his attention to the opening door. Momoi Satsuki entered. The intrusion bothered him, as she had always been mindful of manners. She slipped out of her shoes and stood before the table. He sensed a mutinous energy through her eyes but her overall composure was lax. Interesting.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I don't like what you pulled at the summit."

He wasn't in the mood for a lecture but decided to indulge her nonsense. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Her stare hardened and her arms crossed. "You had no right to manipulate me into admitting Aomine-kun's injury. He kept it from me for a reason and that you discovered it at all is suspicious. And how dare you use that to bargain against Lord Akashi."

This was getting annoying, so he veered down a different avenue. "Where is Aomine?"

The derailment hadn't the desired effect. "With all due respect, Dan, that's none of your business."

"Excuse me?"

She stooped and planted her hands on the tabletop. Though no threat invaded her face, her eyes spoke menacingly. "You've messed with him enough. You could have gotten him killed at the fort. There are more qualified people you could have used for this farce yet you insisted on tangling Aomine-kun in whatever you're plotting against the Lord. Has he returned to the temple? Yes." Her brows tightened. "Will I tell you where he is? Absolutely not. When he's ready, rest assured, he'll come to you." She rose and stepped back. "As he always does."

Contempt laced her words and he forced himself to contain his rising anger. How insolent.

She was overstepping her boundaries.

Time to remind her of her place.

"What I do to preserve national security is my decision. And who I enlist to guarantee that is as much my right. If you'd like, I can expatriate you now, incarcerate you as a hostile trespasser, and confine you to the holding cells until your attitude has been readjusted." She tensed but had yet to allow the blatant rage to claim her face. "I will ask you one more time, Momoi-san. Where is Aomine?"

Tension weighed the air. Her eyes remained stapled on him, her posture firm and unyielding. Would she really risk imprisonment for her ex-husband? It was admirable, he could admit. Locating Aomine without her, though, would prove circuitous and he was impatient.

She exhaled a strained sigh and said, "He's in the barracks." And almost as if to spite him, she quickly added, with unguarded sarcasm, "_Your majesty._"

He grunted. "Was that so difficult?"

Silence and a disgusted glare was his answer.

"Now, get out of my office."


	17. Chapter 17

:XVII:

Thunder drummed in steady beats beyond the window pane and did little to distract Kagami. Sakurai left him a while ago to give him some privacy and would return later with lunch. Since then, he had lain on the cot, chin nestled deep into the stale pillow. The newly acquired scar was too sensitive to pressure which inconvenienced him as he tended to sleep on his back. His turbulent mind was assaulted with images of the incident from yesterday.

The distress striking Aomine's face clawed at him, embossing in a vibrant imprint as he tried to squash the memory behind tightly sealed eyes. It was a look he had witnessed before. Sheer terror and helplessness. The man's voice, characteristically languid and deep, was racked with apprehension. As he pleaded to be heard, to be believed. To be trusted. Funny, Kagami thought, how easily Aomine had persuaded him to be trusted with little effort.

The thrill of competition had opened the gateway to an unspoken partnership. One that neither had wanted to sever too soon.

But Aomine curtly ended that when he invaded the fort with intent to assassinate Hyuuga.

He lifted himself from the cot and slid his gaze to the hovering mass of grey outside.

_Kagami, no. Just listen to me._

He hung his head and massaged his brow as the memory took hold. How could Aomine have expected him to listen quietly without rebellion?

_Believe me, this wasn't me._

Why should he? The implication alone was difficult to overcome in the short time before Kagami abandoned rationality. Which wasn't abnormal. He was known to have a volatile temper and, with provocation, was quick to engage it. Yet with Aomine…

The man acted like prey, he retreated like prey, and he succumbed like prey. A sudden thought occurred to him. Just before he decided to retaliate, he negated Aomine's defense by addressing the soiled knife. And the Neutral instantly discarded it. In the holding cells where Kagami had been interrogated, Aomine displayed similar vulnerability. No attempt had been made to acquire another weapon during the escape, either.

At the time, it had meant a man trying to divest his guilt.

But disarming himself meant Aomine had surrendered hostility.

Which he so foolishly misinterpreted as an insult.

_Again._

He rose from the cot and began pacing. Implications and preconceptions aside, he wanted to believe the Neutral was innocent so they could maintain their contest. That the next time he saw Aomine the man wouldn't be cagey or aggressive. That the snarky bastard would rib and needle him with a familiarity as if they had known each other for decades and incite another bout. The way Aomine got under his skin and consumed his thoughts was frustrating.

A scant part of him hoped the man was similarly vexed about him.

His emotions clashed and reflecting exhausted his patience.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he kicked the aluminum post of the cot. "God dammit. You stupid prick."

"How rude, Kagami-kun."

The voice from behind startled him and he reacted before he composed himself. Fire spit from his arm as he twisted to meet the threat. A blur of blue blipped into his peripheral vision. His ignited arm was parried and his wrist gripped tight. Curled behind his back, a boot unlocked his knee and he collapsed face down to the cot. A knee pressed hard to the center of his spine prevented his attempt to rebel. Pressure agitated the scar and he bit back a hiss. The residual weak flickers of his arm sputtered and died out.

"Please don't struggle. I don't want to hurt you." A quiet tone as clear as glass. Kuroko Tetsuya.

He ignored the twitch of embarrassment and tested the shadow's hold. Firm despite the man's spare frame and fragile appearance.

"Nobody hears about this," he said.

"I wouldn't dare."

Though he perceived the shadow to be an honest man, he didn't put much faith in the tone. "Get the hell off me."

"Are you calm?"

"Look, unless you're gonna massage the strain out of my shoulder, then get the hell off me."

"To be fair, Kagami-kun, you assaulted me first."

He reached back and connected a weak swat to Kuroko's waist.

Then he thought, if Kuroko was going to bargain, so was he.

"Are you going to bring out those gross shadows?"

"No."

He rolled his shoulders. "Then let me up."

Kuroko hesitated but removed his knee and slid his hand off. Kagami rose and rotated the soreness away. He turned to the shadow and sensed no antagonism in the gentle features. In fact a look of urgency held fixed eyes.

"That was fun. We should do it again sometime."

"I need your help, Kagami-kun."

He couldn't resist cocking a brow.

"It's about Aomine-kun. I need to know what happened yesterday."

—

Incredulity filled the eyes that stared back at Kuroko. Which he anticipated. Ingress to the fort was difficult in contrivance, yet simple in execution. The sentries had been so distracted and on edge that he managed to slip through a gap in their patrol route and entered a side door. His phantom presence, otherwise a curse, became a blessing today and he abused it to plunge the halls in search of Kagami. Mindful of the attendants milling about, he did well to skulk the runners, retreating to slivers of darkness or sucking himself into an available empty room to evade detection. All his movements carefully considered.

The chatter of two uniformed passersby noted his quarry and he lingered to ascertain a general location. Obtaining none, he continued on where he came upon the infirmary. He had hunkered down to observe the flash of movement and, through the crack in the door, identified the idiosyncratic features of the crown prince of the Fire.

Kagami was pacing, his face contorted with a mix of emotion.

He entered without caution, having no time to spare for secrecy. Many times he'd called the prince's name and was ignored.

It wasn't his fault the man didn't hear him as much as it wasn't his fault that the prince's reaction necessitated constraint.

Regardless of the circumstances of their meeting, he needed Kagami's help. The Dan could no longer be trusted.

He took a moment to collect himself. Since eliminating that bothersome herald his body had been wired with tension. A deep exhale soothed him enough, and he repeated, "I need to know what happened between you and Aomine-kun."

The prince's face hardened. "You really think you're in a position to make demands?"

He wasn't certain he deserved that. Of the many ways he had learned to disarm an offender, he'd utilized what was probably an elementary technique. Other than damaged pride, what else warranted the bitter approach?

"I know where I stand. What I don't know is what happened between you two."

Kagami offered him a scrutinizing look. "Have you been under a rock? He murdered the Kaizer."

"No, he did not." The words came quickly and he contained his anger. "You don't know Aomine-kun. He would never hurt or kill someone who hadn't accosted him first."

"And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

He frowned at the challenge. If Kagami was going to deflect, they would get nowhere fast. And Kuroko hadn't the liberty to waste on stubbornness. There wasn't much he could do to pressure the larger man into admitting the desired information without arresting him. And Kuroko was a man of his word.

"That aside, what went on between you two?"

"I caught him over the guy's body." Impatience swelled the prince's tone and augmented his voice. "Knife in hand, blood on clothes. What the hell do you think I did?"

"That's not an answer."

The man scoffed. "I'm not stupid enough in implicate myself in front of the Dan's lapdog. Just deal with the truth, Kuroko. Aomine killed Hyuuga, that's all there is to it."

The resignation alerted him.

If Kagami was reluctant to admit what transpired between he and Aomine, why perpetuate a truth even he was conflicted about? And try as he might, the prince wasn't convincing Kuroko of his objectivity.

Still, the ardent declaration of murder had persisted. And Kuroko had heard it for the last time.

He needed Kagami to understand the gravity of the situation, so he decided to voice his suspicions.

"He did not murder the Kaizer. He was set up."

Kagami's eyes widened a fraction and then narrowed with cold appraisal. "Are you shitting me? That's how you're defending him?"

"I don't joke. You're the one obsessed with him to the point of possessing a dossier, so tell me how likely it is that Aomine-kun _isn't_ being set up."

The implication froze the prince and the man sputtered for a response. When none seemed suitable, he fisted Kuroko's collar and hoisted him nearly to eye level. "I am not obsessed with Aomine."

"The dossier, Kagami-kun. You read it to learn how to screw with Aomine-kun. I shouldn't have to tell you the one detail within it that you're so annoyingly overlooking just to placate your guilt because something _did_ occur between you two."

He hadn't realized his voice escalated until he drank in the man's expression. A marriage of insult and scorn. And something more, hidden away beneath drawn brows. Regret.

"He speaks the truth," a familiar voice wobbled from the doorway.

Kagami released him and they both turned.

Kuroko's wired nerves were slaked, disabling his immediate thought to defend himself. Holding a tin tray with a steaming bowl of soup and two wrapped sandwiches stood a petite brunet man. Wedged between his arm and ribs were a collection of folders and a thick book. An anxious look that the man was known for was substituted for remorse. Sakurai Ryou greeted Kuroko with a tip of his head and closed the door behind him as he entered.

The lack of alarm was surprising. After all, Kuroko, though unseen to many, was known as an assassin of the Shadow to the upper echelons of the Apparition world. Sakurai included.

"What're you talking about, Sakurai?" The deserved honorific was quickly applied.

Sakurai waived the respectful address and tabled the meal on top of the stout dresser. "For you, Kagami-san. I know I said later, but I finished early."

"Screw the food. What do you mean 'he's telling the truth?' How long have you been listening?"

Kuroko wondered, too.

"Long enough," Sakurai said, his voice shaking.

The secretary was known for his timid and reclusive nature. Tone always soft and weak. Composure something instigated by an outside force. It was rare for Sakurai to emote much beyond mild paranoia and oversensitive anxiety. And treading on the brim of sobbing was especially disconcerting. Which left Kuroko wondering where these sudden emotions were coming from? The man's shoulders sputtered and he fought to control it.

"Sakurai-san, is everything alright?" Realizing he was an outsider didn't mean he couldn't be concerned. After all, the secretary had never wronged him before.

"No," the secretary sniveled and Kuroko caught Kagami fidget uncomfortably. "This is all my fault. I did this." Tears slid down reddening cheeks that the man cleared with his sleeve. "If only I hadn't told him."

_Told who what?_

Kagami seemed to be thinking the same thing as he stepped forward and said, in a controlled tone, "How is this your fault? What are you talking about?"

Sakurai took a moment to collect himself and Kuroko was grateful that the prince's temper had been ebbed. By what, he didn't know. Nor did he care. Whatever made extracting what he wanted to know easier. Sucking a deep breath, the secretary leveled a defeated stare on them and said, "There's something I must tell you both about Aomine-san."

Skepticism screwed Kagami's face and he elbowed the prince's ribs. "What is it?"

"The truth about his parentage."

"And how would you know that," Kagami asked.

"Because I was Imayoshi Nori's midwife."


	18. Chapter 18

**What even are words. Much longer chapter than the last, but as you'll read, you'll find the length was necessary. I hope you enjoy it. The climax is coming soon.**

* * *

**:XVIII:**

Aomine's body tingled, joints vibrating like bees confined to a glass container. A distorted black and white scenario played across his mind, images whipping by too fast to identify as anything more than blobs of muted color. Sounds were muffled, suppressed and barely comprehendible. He felt the pounding of his feet against uneven earth and a sharp tepid chill stroked the back of his throat. He twisted his head to call over his shoulder, but no voice came out. An intense heat barreled from behind, enraged and vengeful. His foot caught something rugged and the warmth consumed him.

Both he and it slammed to the ground.

His eyes shot open. His heart squeezed tight as his lungs ventilated air quickly.

His gaze found a timber ceiling and the mild aroma of aloe and mint hinted the room, barely disguising the poignant draft of antiseptic and disinfectant. Abating the jostling effect the scents unleashed on his swimming brain, he confirmed that he had somehow found himself in the infirmary ward of the Ice temple. The scorching heat that had swallowed him was gone. Though not entirely. A tender cocoon surrounded his left hand.

He tilted his head to catch the sparkle of a familiar band around a dainty and beautiful finger. Following up the slender arm led him to the blue face of Momoi Satsuki.

"Hey," he said, voice raspy from sleep.

Despite her expression, one that came in tow with a multitude of questions he didn't want to answer to, he felt her thumb glide comfortingly across his knuckles.

"How long have I been out?"

The gravel in his tone would adjust itself eventually, and clearing his throat would probably agitate the testy swarm of ache ensnaring his head. Coupled with the borderline nauseous odor of herbal and chemical pharmaceuticals, he restrained the reflex.

"Long enough," Satsuki said.

He wasn't happy with the answer. That could mean an hour. It could mean ten. But he decided not to get critical with her. His brain was sloshing with unexplained affliction and he palmed his forehead to concentrate the maelstrom. A vicious sting bit back beneath a patch and he hissed.

Sliding his hand from hers, he lifted onto an elbow and palpated the covering gently. Soft and dimpled, fastened by abrasive tape. Gauze.

He looked to Satsuki to question the arbitrary medical aid but noted the sudden impatience that flushed her face.

"What's even going on with you, Dai-chan?"

"Aside from naptime knockouts, nothing new." He tested the area again and drew his hand away when the same sting pinched back.

Satsuki heaved a sigh and hid her face in her hands. Aomine remained still, wondering if he'd done something to invoke this. He couldn't remember anything that had happened after he fled the fort, Kagami hot on his heels. The whole incident was unclear and in that moment he tried to restore his memory. Nothing beyond the escape into the Russian wilderness came to him. As he sat on the hospital futon, awaiting the incoming diatribe from Satsuki, he made a mental note to administer a new split lip to the prince's handsome mug. Assuming Kagami would even be quiet and rational enough to listen to him. That goddamn idiot.

Satsuki still held her head, so he cycled through the possibilities. His foggy brain hadn't the symptoms of his usual hangover. No residual adrenaline lingered and he hadn't the taste of good liquor on his tongue. Aside from what felt like a nasty scrape on his forehead, he felt no other erupting knots or bruising. His joints instigated some soreness and his back muscles could do with a generous tenderizing. What the hell happened yesterday?

Eager to find out, and convinced she held the answer, he decided to try.

"Did I drink Nebuya under the table or something?"

She scoffed and sniffed, one hand shoving long pink locks from her face. Red diffused around moist eyes and Aomine's mouth dried. He must have really screwed up.

"I thought you loved me, Daiki."

The answer came reflexively. "I do."

"At one time, maybe. When it meant that you could confide in me."

He resented the accusation and scooted to the top of the futon, sitting up straight. She likewise straightened and he understood what that meant. In rare circumstances had he used his immense stature to intimidate those smaller than himself. The board of directors early in his tenure as Ambassador. Choice attendants who hadn't the common sense to observe his less hospitable moods and leave him to his peace. Wakamatsu more than a few times. Even Imayoshi during his lengthy spell of youth rebellion. But never Satsuki. Any disagreements between them were intimately hashed out, both bold and unrelenting. That she was once again staring him down, even as he looked down at her sitting on a wooden stool, meant she had a point to prove. And that he wasn't being given a way out.

He squinted and tried to keep the insult from his voice, "What the hell's that supposed to mean? I don't lie to you, Satsuki."

"Call it what you want. Lying. Waiting for the opportune moment." Her stare hardened. "Forcing your partner of thirty-four years to withhold that you'd been brutally attacked by the prince of the Fire Apparitions because it was _classified_." The emphasis on the word bit hard and he couldn't stop himself from wincing at the rebuke.

"It wasn't a big deal. I handled it."

"Short of what?" Her voice rose and she threw her arms out. "An almost third degree burn? Or the cataclysmic disintegration of international relationships that were to result if he killed you?"

"I said I handled it."

Satsuki exasperated a stressed laugh and stood. She palmed her forehead and paced beside the futon.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "You handled it fabulously, Daiki."

"What do you want me to say, Satsuki? _Sorry_, sure as shit ain't gonna cut it."

She sighed again and drew near the futon. "You're right. It won't."

She hovered close, one knee pressed to the bedding, and inched his shirt up on the right side. The cool air hadn't teased his wound, last left unattended. He identified a new dressing, applied with economical precision. A conservative measure of bandages and gauze. Definitely Satsuki's work.

Head low, he lifted his gaze to find dissatisfied eyes looking back. For a moment, they were silent.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Daiki, when I have to hear about this from Akashi Seijuurou."

He registered her betrayed trust in the way she quickly averted eye contact and shielded the burn from view. She leaned away and reclaimed the stool.

He picked his head up, loosening his muscles, and let gravity dip his head back where it met the timber sheathing with a whispered thump. What else was he supposed to do? Satsuki had been the one constant in his life, the one thing that had coasted with him through the tumultuous avenues and corkscrewed his life offered. She possessed secrets about him that even Imayoshi, his own family, was unaware of. They talked secrets, dreams, ambitions, failures, desires. Things among the taboo and things ridiculously childish. They fought, made up, and put it in the past. Family was the capital principle in Aomine's life. Imayoshi, Tetsu, Satsuki. To them all, he had been at his most vulnerable and his most guarded.

But never, until now, so guarded that he would have to choose between those he loved indefinitely.

How she had discovered that Tetsu knew more than Aomine was willing to disclose wasn't a cryptic riddle. Contrary to what she believed, he hadn't forbid the shadow from telling her the truth. He asked that Tetsu divert her and allow him that honor. As her friend. As her ex-husband. As her family.

Faraway chatter from down the hall and adjoining rooms accompanied the otherwise ambient silence. As they sat, he fished for something, anything, to allay her anxiety.

He knew it was pathetic, but it was all he had. And what he really felt.

So he said, "I didn't want to frighten you."

She said nothing and he worried she may be cooking up the ultimate remark that may make or break their relationship. If there were anything that terrified him more than the dismay of living life unaccomplished, it was being abandoned by loved ones.

One of many intimate details he'd shared with her before.

A faint chuckle set his nerves on fire and he stared at her. Satsuki pinched the bridge of her nose.

"About which part, Daiki?" She didn't give him a chance to answer and locked eyes with him. "You getting attacked while hunting? You getting burned by Kagami Taiga? Or that I would be immeasurably furious and hurt that you couldn't even articulate a way to tell me?"

The perpetuated use of his given name was irritating him. Once breathed in moments of privacy or laughed in times of domestic jubilance or sniveled in crippling emotional turmoil was now equipped for unsolicited ridicule.

And he did not like that.

And as she spoke, he sensed there was more to this than just the burn.

Perhaps whatever had happened yesterday that had him delivered to the infirmary with a head wound, a body-wide ache, and a list of unanswered questions.

To her blatant disappointment, he said nothing.

Satsuki groaned and let her hands clap her thighs as she turned away from him. "When you're not putting me at arm's length, you're inconveniencing Tetsu-kun."

The bold declaration ignited a fire in his chest and he snapped a glare at her.

"You wanna talk about keeping shit from each other?"

He hadn't censored his anger. If she wasn't going to, he wouldn't. It had been long in the running and he'd kept his mouth shut, observing from a distance. For almost twenty-five years, he watched as Satsuki and Tetsu interacted. The subtle gestures in passing. How one would pluck up the courage to make a move and the other would move, as if to intercept, only to back away and stall out any prospect of progression. The countless times he had found them in each other's company while he was otherwise preoccupied. Yet neither spoke a word about their time together. What they did talk about, in abundance, was _him_. And as great as the two lovesick interlopers were at withholding their own romantic entanglement, they were equally as proficient at failing to keep their opinions of him to themselves.

She whipped back around, her eyes crinkling vindictively. "This isn't about me, Daiki."

He sensed she was propping up her defenses but he didn't intend to allow her time to fortify them.

He turned to face her. "You wanna complain about how I keep secrets? Well, what about you and Tetsu?"

Surprise gripped her and melted to reveal a characteristic uneasiness. One that conveyed that she'd been caught retaining and didn't plan to explain herself.

Well, too damn bad.

"Tetsu-kun has nothing to do with this."

"You must think I'm a liar _and_ stupid."

"Don't you put words in my mouth," her voice wavered a bit. "I didn't say—"

"I see you guys talking about me constantly, when you think I'm not looking. Whispering like I'm pitiful."

"Stop."

"Then you gesture to me as the two of you dispense with your opinions of how I've done what I shouldn't. Or why I can't just behave myself."

"Daiki, stop it."

"The two of you stand there and pretend I'm not within fucking earshot as you lament about me so much because you've been burdened as my babysitters."

Satsuki jerked out of her seat and glued her hand across his mouth. Her knee speared the futon and he felt her weight leaning forward. Trying to keep more words, which neither had wanted to hear, from spilling out.

A tense moment passed where they said nothing. Their eyes traced each other's faces, looking for a sign. Of what, Aomine wasn't sure.

Feeling her trembling, he cupped her hand and uncovered his mouth. She resigned without a fight and rolled back onto the stool. He maintained hold of her hand.

"Looks like we've both broken the unwritten rule."

It was quiet for a few seconds and Aomine thought he may have misinterpreted her submission.

He breathed again when she spoke.

"It was actually one of our wedding vows."

He was glad the tension deflated to a comfortable level.

"Was it?"

She smiled and sniffed away the manifested tears that welled behind stubborn eyes. "Stupid Dai-chan."

The familiar address lifted the weight in his stomach and he relaxed. He watched her collect her hair over one shoulder. Words crawled up the back of his throat and he thought to swallow them. He hardly ever expressed pretty or overly-romantic words, even to Satsuki, making his emotions valid through actions. Mendacity wasn't one of his popular personality traits and he hated having resorted to it. She deserved better than that. So, for the second time in the past few days, he was going to break character.

Just for her.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. She lifted her face and his gaze softened.

"You know I love you." He paused. "And trust you."

Her lip quivered marginally and she quickly pinned it with her teeth. She nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry. We've both done wrong."

She resumed control of her hand and stroked her thumb across his cheek. Then she stood, leaned forward, and kissed him. A chaste, tender touch that he remembered fondly. He hadn't expected that but absorbed its message.

She seated herself once again and the feeling of normalcy settled.

"I heard about Hyuuga-san."

No emotion carried her tone but the proffered name revived an uncomfortable image. One he hoped hadn't been imbedded in his memory, but, inevitably, hadn't washed away with whatever events awarded him a head wound. He recalled the pain-stricken face, the betrayal in the Kaizer's glossed eyes, and the large puncture through the man's chest. At the time, he hadn't questioned why he was so quick to resuscitate Hyuuga. He thought it instinct. But introspection told him that his morals, his intrinsic code of ethics, compelled him to save the man's life.

It had been a first for Aomine. The many men and women he had killed in his lifetime, the Shadow Apparitions who'd come hired to erase his existence, had been struck down with professional ease. There had been struggles. Close calls. But none had clung to life, those last moments of agonizing consciousness, as the Kaizer had that afternoon. Watching the man die left a sour taste in his mouth that saturated as Satsuki recited the name. And he couldn't swallow it now that it had resurfaced.

"I didn't do it," he said. "You know I didn't."

She nodded and wove her fingers together between her knees as she leaned forward again. "It's impossible. Outside of your principles," she paused. "I've heard the people say wonderful things in your memory. So many of them applaud what they believe you'd done. But there are also those who dissent. Who have muttered terrible things. You're either a harbinger or a knight."

Aomine couldn't stop himself from scowling. "Fickle folk are so charitable, aren't they?"

"Tetsu-kun was furious when he overhead the news this morning. Whatever may come of this, he and I will support you. Unlike the rest of the temple, we know who you really are."

He appreciated that. Few things had ever been so reliable as Satsuki and Tetsu's unquestionable fidelity. Had he been remotely religious, he would kneel and thank Mother Nature for bestowing him with two beautiful people who really cared for him, despite his copious inadequacies and predictable shortcomings.

But she had just reminded him.

"Where is Tetsu?"

The content drained from her face and she cast her glance aside. He didn't like that look and hovered close. His tired muscles protested, but he ignored them.

"Satsuki. We just had this talk about withholding." His tone was firm but not demanding. Experience supplied that nothing was earned from her that way.

Her eyes trained on the floor and he was disappointed that she wouldn't look at him. Before he could speak, she cupped his hand, applied an assuring stroke with her thumb, and stood. He beckoned an answer as she strode for the portal. And again as she reached it.

"Satsuki." Undisguised urgency carried his tone. "Where is Tetsu?"

She gripped the mouth of the entryway arch, as if she needed its support to deliver the words. She canted her head and feigned a smile.

"He's on assignment. No details were given. You know how the Dan is."

Her disclosure was hardly believable. Though, the weak explanation transferred something unsaid that Aomine detected. He remembered the word she had used to describe the shadow's forwarded secrecy about the incident with Kagami in the forest all those days ago.

_Classified._

She lingered only a moment more and then rolled around the corner, leaving without another word.

—

Kagami stood stark silent. Had he heard the secretary correctly? The words ricocheted through his skull and punched his guilt hard.

"What do you mean Aomine Daiki is a fucking _Lightning Apparition_?" Little was done to mask his surprise.

Sakurai had offered that discussing the private matter in an easily accessible place within the fort was a bad idea and, with some deliberation, decided on the armory. With the troops already geared up and waiting to leap into the ring to assist the Fire against the temple, there was no reason for anyone to venture to the dank subterranean level of the structure, the little man had reasoned. Kuroko accepted the proposal without almost a second thought. As they coursed the halls, the shadow had been mindful of his trespassing and either hid behind Kagami or entangled himself in the fields of shadows that patched the stone and runners as they were led further down. Kuroko's stamina, Kagami noted, had been impaired and the smaller man had nearly lost his footing on the stone risers as they descended to the armory.

As he waited for an answer, the secretary rifling through a file he'd secured on the way, he studied Kuroko. The man's weight was entirely supported on his folded arms, propped on the back of a sturdy wooden chair. Lines of fatigue scratched his eyelids and he looked so weary that Kagami wouldn't be surprised if the shadow gave into the allure and slumped to the flagstones that sheathed the armory. He wondered why he wouldn't just sit and the constant fidgeting as Kuroko leaned on one leg, then the other, was getting annoying.

"It's as I said, Kagami-san," Sakurai interrupted his observation. "Aomine-san is one of us."

An aged and folded sheet of parchment was produced and unveiled across the thick unpolished table centering the room among oak shelving and weapon receptacles. Time had done little to deteriorate the quality of the handwritten words. Kagami noted a colorful crest at the top of the sheet, a blue-tinged badge where a black panther—muzzle crinkled and fangs bared—broke a ring where emblazoned within was unorthodox script—a motto that read "Family Above All Else." He had seen this type of paper before many times, inducted several thousand years ago, as a way to provide veracity to an Apparition's claim to heritage as well as tabulate the pureblood population. A pedigree.

They all leaned close and examined the name with the help of torches mounted to iron perches. Kagami silently translated the wispy calligraphic penmanship at the top of the sheet. _The Aomine Family Registry, established MDCCXL._ He decrypted the Roman numerals. 1740. Names he was unfamiliar with stared back at him, their script penned by hand from the noted Apparition, all unique in stroke. Sakurai pointed to the bottommost selection of the family, finger indicating one parent.

"Imayoshi Nori. The Dan's younger sister. A priestess and an amazing woman of many talents within the temple. Unconventional and astute. But nothing like her brother," the secretary informed them. Kagami watched the finger glide to the thick, confident signature of Aomine's father. "Aomine Daichi. The Kaizer. Inducted to the throne at the age of fifty-six."

His brows dipped as the little man's digit followed the line stemming from one denoting the parents' marriage to their child, the name stylized in the father's hand. His stare penetrated the ink and he felt Sakurai looking at him. Kuroko, too.

"Aomine Daiki," the secretary whispered. "The hybrid son of Kaizer Daichi and Nori-san."

His stomach knotted and his diaphragm vacuumed the air tight into his lungs. The name indicated by Sakurai's finger taunted him. A familiar languid baritone invaded his brain, chastising his brash stupidity. His lack of common sense. He shook the voice away and tipped his eyes to meet the secretary's.

"How," he began, "in a century, could Aomine have been a Lightning Apparition and never known it?"

Sakurai reached for the same file he'd drawn the pedigree from. Peeling away the cover, he shifted the sheets within around until he unearthed a photocopied page he'd seen several times in the textbooks at the Academy. The secretary laid the paper over the pedigree.

Another hand-drawn image. The technique possessed no properties of proportion and looked as if done without lifting the instrument from the page. A woman, daubed with earthy brown and green shades interspersed among smudges of blue and white, kneeled in the bottom right corner. Her posture was distressed, arms rose beseechingly and face contorted with an admixture of sadness and pain. Her swollen belly was torn open and from it shot a linear jagged bolt of lightning. Beyond the bolt was a child, face etched with a furious expression, its finger jabbed accusingly at the woman. He regarded the footnote above a passage of text.

_Birth of the Lightning._

"When you think Lightning, Kagami-san, what words come to mind?" Sakurai asked.

It wasn't hard to generate a few. After all, the Mother Nature myth submitted that the Lightning were supposedly the surrogate parent to the Fire, creating the race after ripping through Mother's belly where the Fire rampantly set the world ablaze. Both had been vindictive, destructive spirits, the myth posited. One harbored greed, the other fury. And both had been contained, their birth deferred in favor of the other Apparitions. The Inferiors.

Not that Kagami subscribed to the myth. But with this new revelation, he found that consistencies had coincided between fact and fiction. The alliance of the Fire and Lightning tribes. Their similar temperaments and dispositions. And how proximity to Aomine hadn't immediately thrown out the same red flags that would have soared had the man actually been an Ice Apparition.

A series of the man's expressions played across his mind and Kagami didn't like what he'd seen.

"Rage. Anger. Violence." Contemplative silence lapsed every word and he nearly allowed the screaming guilt within to break eye contact with the secretary.

He'd shown a titanic leap in logic and complete disregard for judgment. All within a week.

He was a fool.

No. Aomine had said it best.

He was a goddamn _idiot._

"Exactly," Sakurai said. "As you know, Apparitions maintain vessels, our human receptacles. And, like other organisms, we also maintain defensive mechanisms to protect ourselves. A common trigger is fear. Another is excitement."

Kuroko edged in with a solemn voice, "Then there's anger."

Kagami understood where the two were leading him, but had to ask, "And you're telling me that, for one hundred years, Aomine's just never been that pissed off?"

"You surely noticed, Kagami-kun?"

He had. But that didn't mean it translated. Actually, it was hardly conceivable that a person could go through a third of their life without experiencing one of the most primal emotions. That a mastermind could redirect emotions or squash them before they materialized into a tangible recognition that the person would interpret. Yet, somehow, that's apparently what Imayoshi had done. Kagami searched his now hyperactive memory. The way Aomine's face twisted with a flash of pain when he'd harassed him and prodded at deep wounds probed his brain. How the man tried hard to compose himself in the wake of a character assassination, failing to secure a firm handle on his wayward emotions.

Kuroko seemed to notice that he was struggling to accept the information and cleared his throat. "The day before he came here, Aomine-kun had been upset by the news of the Lord's ultimatum. Thinking that he'd no doubt be brought before the mercy of two sovereigns. The agitation was palpable. The combat squad chief had been coaxing him into releasing stress with their usual horseplay and when Aomine-kun wasn't receptive to the invitation, the chief elbowed his concealed burn to incite admission. The chief tried making amends about it and Aomine-kun got him to leave the room to fetch Momoi-san." His characteristically controlled speech seemed even more delayed as melancholy flooded his voice. "He'd been in so much pain."

The shadow's face sunk in dismay at the memory the words were evoking. Eyes had gradually fallen from meeting his and Sakurai's and were now sewn to the table, unfocused and depressed.

"He told me," Kuroko continued after a moment. "_Every time I get pissed it starts tingling. Like someone's poking me with needles. And the more upset I get, the worse the pain._"

Blue eyes found Kagami.

"I hadn't wanted to believe it then, either. But at the same time, I had been happy to think that—maybe—Aomine-kun could finally embrace an identity as an Apparition. A tangible sign that he belonged somewhere."

Kagami broke eye contact and studied the pedigree once more, Aomine's immediate family still visible beneath the photocopied image.

"Aomine-san was taken in by the Dan when he was only a month old. Knowing who his parents were, fearing what he may become, the Dan must have labored for decades to hamper the most dominant trigger of the Apparitions." The man paused as emotion tightened his windpipe. "Anger."

He now knew it was not only sensible but attainable. He'd seen proof that the selected emotion was difficult for Aomine to grasp. But he was skeptical to believe that Imayoshi was capable of such deception. Such malevolent manipulation of his own nephew.

He regarded Kuroko and said, "How would he even keep track of Aomine's behavior? Guardian or not, one third of his current life was coated with the same teen rebellion as the rest of us, if not more grating and everlasting for him. There's no way Imayoshi had eyes on him at all times."

The shadow scowled and the expression surprised both he and Sakurai, judging by the way the secretary's brows inclined quizzically.

Scrutiny flooded the smaller man's eyes. "The combat squad chief was always insistent that Aomine-kun remain calm. Level-headed and composed people prove less vexing to deal with, certainly. But the slightest aggravation attracted the chief's consolation. Imayoshi, as well, had more than a few times reminded Aomine-kun to relax when his temper manifested." A thoughtful look furrowed the shadow's brow tighter. "Not to mention, Nebuya-san did well to exhaust Aomine-kun's energy with physical competition on what was sometimes a spontaneous basis."

The implication brought the secretary's hand to his mouth and distress washed over his paling face. "To think his own family would manipulate him." His voice cracked as he continued, "He was only a baby."

Kagami said nothing. Neither did Kuroko.

His brain somersaulted, churning violently as pangs of regret clashed within him. From the start, he'd read Aomine all wrong. The secretary's revelation, compounded by the shadow's disclosures, attacked him relentlessly. Reflecting now, Aomine's actions, his mannerisms, unfolded to a cardinal truth that he'd been too jaded to realize. The man was no Neutral. He'd been a pawn, orchestrated in a grand scheme by a twisted uncle. And that hadn't been the most crucial detail.

Aomine was next in line to inherit the Lightning crown.

A fact that Imayoshi, no doubt, planned to exploit.

And Aomine would be caught completely off guard.

The deduction flooded him and he jerked his head to meet Kuroko's startled eyes. They'd both come to the same conclusion.

"Imayoshi's going to over throw the monarchy."

Kagami's brow tightened. "And once it's gone, what happens to Aomine?"

Tension suffocated the stale air as the three stared between each other.

Kuroko pushed off the chair and stepped back, grabbing hold of himself. "We need to get Aomine-kun out of the temple."

The shadow looked at him as he spoke.

He inclined from stooping over the table and shook his head. "We?" He hadn't intended to counter skeptically.

Coming to the conclusive truth behind the enigma of Aomine Daiki had done more than right a novel's worth of false conceptions. It took a sledgehammer to Kagami's confident assertion, one that hadn't led him wrong before, and obliterated it. The same confidence that entirely misjudged and nearly led him to kill an innocent man. Not once, but twice. And now Kuroko expected him to jump onboard with a barely-cocked rescue plan for a man who, for all Kagami knew, may be waiting for his chance to even the score. It had been the terms of their entire association, hadn't it?

What was he supposed to do? Waltz into the temple and, once he found the man, apologize about the two near-death experiences, and then traipse right out the back door together?

No.

He couldn't fathom the theatrics of their reunion and the unknown terrified him. His guilt may as well corrode him down to the marrow. Because there was no conceivable way he could face Aomine again without the encounter turning violent.

He leveled his best disinterested stare on Kuroko. "I don't think so."

—

Kuroko stared hard at Kagami. The refusal was hollow, he knew. Symptomatic of the prince's hesitation to answer and failed attempt to mask his blatant guilt. The scrunch of his brow and tight corners of his mouth consistent with a man harbored to his convictions. Recalcitrance and the overflowing arrogance aside, Kuroko trusted his estimation of the prince's character to be susceptible to reason, not so myopic to ignore what could be argued as cold hard fact.

And Sakurai provided the very evidence that verified his recent suspicions.

Incontrovertible evidence of Imayoshi's treachery.

Of Aomine's claim to heritage.

He couldn't curb the sloping hook of his mouth as he stepped around the chair and approached the stubborn fool. The prince stiffened but stood tall.

"Aomine-kun did not kill Hyuuga-san," he said.

Sakurai went silent but Kuroko could identify his silent protests, hands raising as if trying to mediate an imminent altercation.

Kagami said nothing and shifted his gaze aside.

He could sense the man was uncomfortable being confronted about the issue. Not that he cared. So he decided that he needed to puncture the prince's comfort zone. But he remembered his promise before in the infirmary. No shadows this time.

Two strides put him almost toe-to-toe with the prince and if the proximity hadn't alerted Kagami, Kuroko's glare certainly did. Surprise and upset fixed those fiery depths.

"If we don't remove Aomine-kun from the temple now, Imayoshi may embroil him in another stunt that _actually_ kills him."

The man parted his lips, as if to speak, but clenched his jaw. His brow wrinkled, frustrated. For a moment, he was reminded of Aomine and his incapability to successfully emote, facial expressions twisting and screwing, speaking more than the mouth would be allowed.

He didn't have time for this.

Aomine didn't, either.

Kagami was avoiding the issue and projecting his petulant self-deprecation. Recognizing he misjudged yet failing to accept and rectify the situation. Another trait the prince shared with his partner.

Which made the next choice of action easy.

"So," Kuroko stepped away, hands raised in a feint gesture of defeat. "You'll let an innocent man die."

The man's eye twitched but no other reaction followed.

So he continued, "You're so adamant about preserving this contest with Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun. Something Akashi-san is already aware of, isn't he? And the Fire's incursion means the Lord also knows that, supposedly, Aomine-kun was involved in the events befalling the Kaizer's demise."

Kagami's eyes crinkled in a sneer and he maintained his staring contest with an empty weapon rack across the room.

"Do you think even for one second that Akashi-san is going to consider your trivial promise and spare Aomine-kun's life? Your arrangement with Aomine-kun means nothing to him at the expense of a comrade's life. The penalty for regicide, internationally, is death."

The prince erupted explosively, flames popping from exposed skin as he yelled, "I fucking know that. What the hell am I supposed to say to him now? You didn't see his face, Kuroko."

He couldn't help cringing at the outburst, but unlike Sakurai, who quailed and ducked behind the table, Kuroko stood firm. The fury diffusing Kagami's face slowly drained as the prince evened his breath and dialed down the yellow-orange flickers across his brow, cheeks, and nape. He resigned to distressed frustration and evaded Kuroko's stare once again.

Despite himself, he smiled.

"You want to make amends for your hostile approach?" he asked. "Then help me retract Aomine-kun from the temple."

"You can't honestly expect that to work. Do I look five years old to you?"

"At times."

He held his hands in supplication as Kagami threatened to squeeze his head and it seemed to tame the impulse.

That the man seemed less resistant now was gratifying but he needed to secure the prince's total compliance. He hadn't planned on revealing what he was about to say to anyone, not even Momoi, content to survive it as a memory to improve his station as Aomine's shadow. But he decided now—considering all other alternatives—that it was something the man needed to hear.

Heeding that the prince was cooperating, he backed out of Kagami's personal space and noticed an immediate slackening in his back and shoulders.

"Do you know how I found Aomine-kun?" He began and red eyes found him instantly. "I was searching for him this morning. He'd been summoned away the day before and I'd been detained to await his return. Lightning struck the temple where he resided. Destroyed the first and two floors in the quadrant holding his chambers. I navigated the rubble and found him among the wreckage of roofing and ceiling beams." Kagami's brows drew tight and he paused to allow the words to sink in. "I saw static coiling around him, how brief it was. And when I tried to gauge his mental state, to determine if he was even alive, he said only one thing to me. Your name."

Sakurai, who'd aborted hiding when the tension deflated, interjected from one of the wooden chairs he now occupied. "You say you saw static? And that following the lightning strike found Aomine-san immersed in debris?"

Kuroko glanced to the secretary, feeling the prince's gaze still on him.

"Believe me when I say I tried not to assume. It would be different had he been completely buried."

The secretary forwarded attention to Kagami, whose face maintained a look of surprise. "And you remember nothing that happened before you blacked out?"

"Just my merry jaunt through the backwoods." The sharp rebut—imbued with sarcasm—startled the little man.

"I'm sorry," Sakurai fumbled his fingers and avoided the prince's eyes. "I just—"

"I told you already. I caught him, chased him outside, and that's the end of it."

Fighting a spell of fright, the secretary continued. "Where soon after, you were struck by lightning."

Kuroko shot a look to the larger man and saw an unpleasant crease edging taut lips. This was a new detail.

"Is this true, Kagami-kun?" he asked.

The prince crossed his arms and grunted, "Apparently so."

Somehow the information was comforting to hear. Not that he rejoiced knowing Kagami was nearly electrocuted. But this divulgence from the prince and secretary was invaluable. Aomine finally found an identity. The obscure fable of Neutrality could at last be purged and his partner allowed to lead a normal life. His suspicions of the Dan had been confirmed as well, which delighted him as much as it infuriated him. Imayoshi's treachery would not escape public attention and the man would suffer for his transgression.

Yet he had no hope of confronting Imayoshi until Aomine was removed from the premises.

And Kagami still hadn't been coerced.

His patience was nearly exhausted, so he decided to resort to elementary persuasion. Less sophisticated approaches seemed to affect the prince more easily.

"You've figured it out, haven't you, Kagami-kun?"

The prince said nothing.

"You struck him and he struck you back. You both bear the other's mark."

Alert flooded Kagami's eyes as he honed in on Kuroko.

"The score is settled," he concluded.

"How did you," the man looked to Sakurai, who shrunk reflexively. "Did you tell him?"

The secretary was shaking his head before the prince finished but Kuroko jumped in to spare the man Kagami's inability to level his tone.

"Context clues are a wonderful tool. Having established that the last thing you remembered was confronting Aomine-kun in the forest, and factoring in Sakurai-san's account that you'd been struck by lightning, it became evident that the bolt that struck you was not naturally conceived. Rather, it was Aomine-kun escaping."

He was glad that no confusion or skepticism crossed the prince's face. Surely he would understand, as Fire Apparitions employed similar mechanisms to evade a life-threatening situation. Like all other Apparitions, absorbing oneself into their matter of origin served as a temporary safeguard against mortal injury. Kuroko resorted to the depths of suitable shadows in the same way that Kagami would envelop and merge with a magnificent blaze. Aomine had done no different, ascending into the charcoal stretch looming above in a brilliant flash of bluish purple when threatened with death.

"I'm certain," he pressed, "there is a mark somewhere on your body that you're hiding. Otherwise why become so sensitive about what would normally be inconsequential?"

Kagami's lips pursed a thin line and his eyes sunk despondently to the flagstones.

He repressed the urge to vent his agitation. He couldn't maintain this battle any longer. His partner needed his help now. With or without Kagami.

Wordlessly he turned for the door.

Sakurai jumped from his chair and hurried around the bulky table to intercept him.

"Kuroko."

Both men stopped and faced the prince. Resistance was no longer visible in the larger man's eyes or posture. The resolute gleam in his now confident gaze was reassuring and Kuroko released a relaxing breath.

The prince drew near and pinched his brows in scrutiny as he addressed him, "If you're wrong about this—"

"Thirty-four years, Kagami-kun."

A grunt was his answer.

As he attended to the portal, a sharp pain speared his ribs. The arduous persistence to engage fatigued muscles crumbled and he clutched his side as his body rolled to the floor. From the stones, he tilted his gaze to the ceiling, identifying a satisfied look on Kagami's face. The man's hand rested supine, fingers uniformed and tight, reminiscent of a spearhead. Then he knew.

_Payback._

The offending hand was tucked into a pocket and the prince stepped over him, across the threshold.

The prince tipped his head over his shoulder. "Well? Lead the way."

Kuroko surrendered to a groan and let his head lull to the cool stone.

"Give me a moment."


End file.
